Change
by Zeta The Sixth
Summary: Pink Diamond's story, from beginning to end. Well, my interpretation anyways.
1. Ch 1: The 4th

**So… yet another story I'm starting. Ah well, fickle me. I'm making a whole bunch of suppositions here and any of this could be easily retconned by cannon in the future. For reference this was written around the time of "Onion gang". Until then however…**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 1: The 4th

 _ **Some tens of thousands of years ago…**_

Space, large, black, possibly infinite.

Peridot (facet 2D2R, cut 3XG) watched it wiz by as their ship flew through the cosmos.

She was on her way to some distant system their star maps had recently added to their expanding empire. The system in question unfortunately had very little in ways of resources, only three gas giants orbiting a white dwarf.

Still it was not a total waste of time, sure most of the moon orbiting the giants had almost no mineral value, but one did, her destination in fact. That particular moon had almost unheard of amounts of mineral value, rich and waiting to pop out some hundreds of new gems. So no, not a _total_ waste of time.

Peridot had been selected to receive the new gems because it was she who had been tasked to survey the system for possible kindergartens in the first place. After a few dozen planetoids written off as useable, but ultimately a waste of time she had found this… this… well… gem… she supposed, snorting in a small laugh to herself.

 _ **WHAM**_

"HA, I win!" came a voice from behind her as Peridot turned around with a sigh. The voice had come from Flint, a large robust quartz who now pointed into the face of another by the name of Amethyst, a snarl upon her own features.

"No! You caught me off guard! Let's do it again!" Amethyst shouted pointing back into the smug grin of her opponent.

Peridot features scrunched in annoyance. These two had been sent with her to ensure her safety, at least that's what her superiors had told her. The green gem could have handled this on her own she thought, but ultimately it was against policy to do so and was not her decision to make, so she obliged. She was not one to go against rules after all, still the last few hours of the two of them going back and forth in their brute-like ways had been somewhat… annoying.

They were large fierce gems who liked physical action much more than they had ever cared for intellectually inclined topics, such as she had on occasion talked with other olivines. No, these two had whittled away their time mostly picking fights with each other, such as their recent bout at arm-wrestling.

Peridot's frown continued to deepen as she unconsciously gripped one arm of her chair tighter and rubbed the small of her forehead. She attempted to speak up as the two of them butted heads again. "Hey could you guys cut it out? We're almost there and then you can do all the brutish acts you like."

The two looked to her for a moment stopping their ongoing battle as the grey skinned flint steped over, large and imposing as most quartz soldiers were, her hair short with a razor cut. "Ahh, pipe down, 'captain'." She said spitting out the word with some disrespect. "We're just blowing off a little steam, it's no big deal. Heck, it's practically how we say 'Hello.'." She said giving a large smug grin over to Amethyst.

The purple quartz, also of the large variety, her hair braided back into a single stream of white-purple, nodded, her arms crossed. "Yeah, we don't really mean nothing by it. Just how we do things."

"Look, I know you quartzes like to fight but could you please just go back to your chairs and sit quietly?"

"Aw, are we causing too much of a ruckus for the little peridot?" Flint asked, mockingly putting her hands to her hips and towering over Peridot in her seat.

Peridot stood up, though even with her limb enhancers increasing her height she barely reached the shoulder of grey-ish gem. "I was put in charge of this mission and I said knock it off!"

Flint stood back to her full height a look of slight surprise on her face before she exchanged looks with Amethyst and they both laughed. Peridot blushed slightly at this, she felt embarrassment and some anger. She wasn't all that fond of quartzes, usually they were in charge of missions due to their ability to take down anything in their way and their general tactical abilities. The only reason she'd been put in charge of this, and not either of them, was due to her vast experience and expertise in gem growing and kindergartens and the fact that battle probability was very low.

Flint lay a single hand on her shoulder, the palm engulfing the better part of the smaller green's gem shoulder. "Easy, small fry. Didn't mean nothing by it. You're the boss after all." She said before walking back over to the purple quartz and whispering softly, causing her to laugh as Peridot sighed again before returning to her seat, tuning around and facing the front window.

"I cannot wait for this to be over." And just like that they dropped out of warp and were now orbiting the gas giant, Peridot input the coordinates and landed with a small cough of the engines. They were here at last. By her calculations the first of the gems should be ready to pop out, if they weren't already.

She and the quartzes made their way to the control tower they had built for the moon, being rather small they had only needed the one. She activated the door and the three rose, arriving at the top floor, the control room.

Peridot stopped through and sped right through to the main monitors while the other two simply stepped inside and watched her with mild disinterest.

As she accessed the mainframe she observed the data and… no… no…. that can't be correct. She studied the data again, doing the calculations in her head. The data was… off. Her face scrunched up in confusion and then some panic seeped in before she calmed herself.

She called out to the other two, needing someone to talk to. "Hey! Come over here!" she called out.

"What is it now, 'captain'?" Amethyst said, walking over with flint, their faces not at all mused.

"I think we have a problem." Peridot admitted.

Flint narrowed her eyes, while Amethyst remained unmoved. "What _kind_ of problem?" The grey gem asked.

"You know all the gems that were supposed to be here?"

"Yes."

"They're well… gone." Peridot said, the last word almost coming as a peep.

Flint reached down and grabbed Peridot by the scruff of her neck, holding her up to eye height. "What do you mean _gone_?"

Peridot seemed to smile sheepishly. "Well… the mineral levels on this planetoid have dropped to almost nothing but there are no gems... well… anywhere."

Flint dropped her, Peridot barely catching herself before she fell face-first. "How could this happen?" Amethyst asked.

"I don't know!" Peridot said quickly. "This station reported that everything was fine only a few cycles ago! It's not my fault!"

"We came here for _hundreds_ of new gems, and you want me to go back to our superiors and tell them we have _none_?!" Flint bellowed.

"Please wait! I'm not to blame here! Let me see if I can find out what happened." Peridot quickly added, returning to the monitor, accessing the earlier data between the last transmission and now. "Let's see, the mineral levels were still almost full, which is odd they should be less than half as of a few cycles ago, but then… they drop to nearly nothing the following cycle."

"Are you saying a bunch of gems were formed overnight?" Amethyst asked.

"Possible, but due to the differences in time needed to make different gems, ever gems of the similar type, that would mean that every gems would need to be of the exact same type. They would also have to be identical in gestation and emergence as well. That's really rare in case you were wondering." She said a matter-o-factly to a still scowling Flint, unlike Amethyst on the other hand who seemed to be somewhat interested now.

"So does that mean there are a bunch of amethysts or agates or something running around somewhere?" she asked.

"If they had already popped they would have known to come here, they would have known what this place was. No it's like all the minerals just disappeared."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that this planetoid has nothing more to offer us." Peridot concluded.

"So we came all this way for an empty rock?!" Flint said pounding one of the tables, putting a small crack in it. "What are we gonna tell our superiors!? That we lost hundreds of gems?!" she asked.

"I don't know what to tell you!" Peridot pleaded back.

"I'll tell you what you're gonna do! You're gonna go back into that data and find me those gems!" Flint thundered.

Peridot looked somewhat scared and looked to Amethyst for support only for the purple quartz to shrug her shoulders.

Peridot sighed and turned back around accessing the data for the _fifth_ time. As much as she'd hate to say it out loud, the quartz had a point. Minerals couldn't up and vanish like that. So she went back into the data and sifted through going in smaller and smaller timescales till she could pinpoint the drop… and… there it was. Only about a cycle and a half ago was the planetoid near full when it suddenly disappeared.

She used the tower's scanners and quickly gave the kindergarten a once-over. It was clean, surface scans indicated no signs of any gem activity. Peridot then considering trying something, she accessed the deep core scanners and… there it was…

"There's something in the kindergarten." Peridot informed her bodyguards.

"What do you mean _something_?" Flint asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen this happen before. I have no idea what it is but something is deep below the planetoid's surface and it's coming up. And it is _big_." She added.

"Well then let's go see it, shall we?" Amethyst said holding the elevator door open and motioning the two inside.

After a short shuttle ride in their ship, the three arrived at the kindergarten, a fairly big one as well. Injector pods lay quiet and dormant, their fluids now drained. The walls should have been lined with holes, gems of all sorts ready to come out and serve the will of the authority, yet the entire compound remained silent.

"So where is it?" Flint asked.

"It'll appear over there." Peridot said, pointing to a stretch of open space almost directly in the center of the kindergarten.

"Let's go greet it, shall we?" Amethyst jumped down, Flint followed after while Peridot activated the hover function on her limb enhancers, floating down safely to join the other two.

The green gem brought up her data screen, now updated with the data from the tower. "It's almost here." She said.

As if on cue, the ground trembled before a crevice opened up, a large light seemed to engulf the area as the three had to shield their eyes from the intensity. Usually a gem formed their body in the ground and dug their way up and out but this was much different.

The center of the light began to hover in the air a little while longer before the tell-tale signs of forming started to appear. Arms, long and lithe formed then legs and feet and finally a head emerged, long hair but swept up from behind and over the front of the head, forming jagged hair tufts.

The quartzes had already summoned their weapons, Flint with a long two-handed blade and Amethyst with a large mace, in preparation for whatever this thing was. Peridot has given herself a reasonable distance between herself and the mysterious creature but aimed her plasma blaster, ready to do her part.

The light finally dimmed and the figure fell to her knees, then onto her hands. Her form was large, about twenty feet, she wore a pink, sleeveless, body-suit that covered her from neck to toe, except for her navel area which was open, exposing her gem. Her face was round-ish, but fit and lean as well.

She stood up, towering over the smaller gems and opened her eyes, bright pink with diamond-shaped pupils, though only one could be seen as her hair fell over he left eye. She brushed it out of the way and gazed down at the three, mixtures of shook and awe between them.

Peridot dismissed her gun and ran up to the other two, who lowered their weapons to the ground mouths agape and dropped them, causing them to vanish. The green gem looked to the giant before them and back and them, just as speechless as they.

"Hello." The pink giant said, her voice carrying the weight of power, but with tinges of kindness. "My name is…" she seemed to stop for a moment, bringing her hand to her chin in thought. "I am…" she began to pace a bit, the three still too shocked to do anything at all.

"Y-y-y-you… y-y-you're…!" Peridot began, pointing upwards at her.

The quartzes looked down at the green gem waiting for an explanation. "What… is she?" the purple quartz asked.

"Yes, yes… just… hold on…" The pink giant said as she began banging her hand softly against her forehead. "My name is… My name is…" She then opened her eyes, as if in sudden realization. "Pink Diamond!" with that she opened her arms in a wide arc. "That's right! My name is Pink Diamond!" she looked back down at the three, offering her hand to them. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"A diamond…" Flint mouthed still in awe. "A DIAMOND!" she screamed, immediately falling to one knee, her arms forming the diamond salute. The other two quickly followed suite.

Pink Diamond's face changed from a warm smile, to somewhat surprised as she looked down at the three gems, the expression then changed to one of sheepishness as she rubbed the back of her head. "Yes… uh… thank you… for that." She said gesturing down at them.

Peridot was the first to speak up, her eyes still glued to the ground. "My Diamond! I am Peridot, facet 2D2R, cut 3XG. May I say what an honor… no what a _privilege_ it is to be the first to make your acquaintance?"

Pink gave a small smile to her. "I think you just did."

The green gem gained some small measure of courage and looked up, being met by that warm comforting expression filled her up with glee. She barely restrained her giddiness.

Pink then gestured to them all. "Please… please… stand." She said to them. After some hesitation the three did as they were told, standing upright, looking at each other and then back to her.

Flint stepped forward. "If I might say so, my Diamond, you…" she seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "…were not what we were expecting."

"Oh? I'm sorry if I did not live up to _your_ high standards." Pink teased.

Flint immediately fell back to one knee, saluting again. "Forgive my impudence! I meant no disrespect! I would never disrespect you in such a way intentionally!" she said quickly.

This caught Pink Diamond off-guard, she had meant it in jest yet this gem before her seemed to almost quake in fear of the consequences. "Wait, I'm sorry. It was only a joke."

Flint peered up to the great figure before her. "A joke?"

"Yes, a joke."

There was a pause before Flint got up slowly chuckling to herself before the laughter spread to the other three, the whole lot of them laughing.

Several thoughts raced through her mind at once. One, this _diamond_ , the de facto leaders of their entire way of lifewas laughing with her, _her_ a peridot! Two, didn't she know she was supposed to be their superior? Three, how could _any_ of this be happening right now? Similar thoughts ran in the minds of the quartzes.

After they stopped Peridot grabbed her head, as if trying to keep it from exploding with thought. "This is incredible! Another Diamond has been made! And we were here to witness it!" she said, practically jumping with joy. "I can't believe it! I can't believe it!" she said.

Flint stepped forward. "My Diamond, I am Flint, facet 2E6Y, cut 7QG, it is beyond a privilege to make your acquaintance." She said, echoing Peridot's earlier greeting.

"And yours." PD returned politely.

Amethyst stepped forward. "My Diamond, I am Amethyst, facet 3D4T, cut 4QH. The pleasure of your presence humbles me." She said.

"A pleasure for me as well." PD said.

Peridot then spoke up again. "Wow! I can't wait to tell everyone! Another Diamond!" She then turned to the woman who almost tripled her height. "My Diamond, may we escort you back?"

"Back?" She asked. "Back where exactly?"

Peridot and the other exchanged glances for a moment then turned back to her. "Back to Homeworld of course!"

Pink Diamond seemed gave a blank look then nodded to them. The three returned the nod with glee and ran off to the ship. Peridot powered it up and brought it over to PD, landing it and opening the port entry. She looked at it, frowning a bit.

"A bit… small don't you think?" she asked.

Peridot, who could be seen through the window and was now using the intercom, spoke. "I am so sorry, my Diamond! We were expecting a few dozen gems at most, a larger accrue of ships would have been sent for the rest later, but…"

PD waved it off. "No it's fine, just… give me a second." She hunched down and squeezed through, little by little until she was inside. She crawled on her hands and knees until she had made it to the bridge, stopping at the entrance, blocking off the hallway behind her. "Heh, looks like this is about as far as I go."

The quartzes looked to each other and nodded, striding forward. "My Diamond if I may?" Flint asked.

"Yes?"

"We could… try and pull you through?"

PD looked behind her, it was still a tight squeeze but with a little pull… She turned back to them extending her arms to them. "Here."

They each nodded and grabbed one arm, the limbs of the great gem almost too large to wrap around completely. They tugged and after a moment PD popped through to the bridge, the room being the largest in the ship yet still too small for Pink to be entirely comfortable, adjusting herself until she was sitting upright with her legs crossed in the middle of the room.

"Well then, shall we get going?" PD suggested.

"At once!" Peridot said jumping to her feet and sitting down in the captain's chair, but only for a moment, turning back to PD quickly. "My Diamond, it would be a honor if you were to sit in the commander's chair." She said offering the seat.

Pink Diamond looked to it. The chair was meant for say a quartz to sit in, as it was it made Peridot look small in comparison, but that thing was less than half her size. "I appreciate the gesture Peridot, but I don't think that I'd be able to fit."

Peridot looked from PD to the chair and back. "Yes I see your point. Still, a gem of your status should have the best seat on the ship."

Pink giggled at this. "Peridot it's alright really I can just sit like this until we get back home."

"As you command, my Diamond." She said before sitting back down and turning around in the seat. She hit a few buttons and took off into the sky, quickly entering and leaving the thin atmosphere of the moon.

Peridot tapped a few more buttons, setting the coordinates of Homeworld before taking a deep breath and turning around to face Pink Diamond. The giant pink gem returned her look of anticipation with the patient gaze of a mother, causing Peridot to feel flushed. "We are maintaining maximum efficiency in speed and will arrive in a few hours, my Diamond."

Pink Diamond laughed softly at this. "Of course, thank you." She replied warmly. "Also please just call me Pink Diamond… nah that's too wordy. Just 'Pink'."

Peridot seemed to freeze a little at this. _"Is this a test? To see if I treat her with the respect I should? She doesn't seem to be acting like… well… like a diamond."_ She dismissed this thought though, bringing herself back to the situation at hand. "As you command my… Pink." She felt butterflies in her stomach saying that and had to cover her own mouth from giggling with glee for the umpteenth time.

Flint moved into view of PD addressing her. "My… Pink." She felt weird saying that out loud. "Would you like us to contact Homeworld for you? The others will want to hear of your creation.

"The others…?" PD asked.

"The other Diamonds, my Dia-Pink." She said, correcting herself at the last second. "Your sisters, they'd be most interested to hear of your existence I would think."

"Yes, I suppose they would." PD agreed. "Alright, yes, proceed."

Flint did a quick salute before turning around to the communications array on the bridge, taking the controls before AMythyst ran up behind her, trying to take the controls away. "Let me do it!"

"No! She told me to!"

Their bickering continued back and forth like this for a few minutes, much to Peridot's annoyance and PD's slight amusement, before finally deciding they would take turns talking.

Flint accessed Homeworld's main communication hub, waiting for a few seconds before finally being connected.

"This is Peridot facet 3X9R, cut 4DE, how may I direct your call?" came the voice of another green gem, not unlike their 'Captain'.

"This is Flint facet 2E6Y, cut 7QG…"

"And Amethyst facet 3D4T, cut 4QH…"

"We've just…" Flint began.

"Please hold one moment." The Peridot interjected. "It says here you were to check on the kindergarten in facet 6C6Z. Are the gems ready yet? We can amass a small contingent of ships ready in…"

"There was one." Flint said, stopping the Peridot dead in her tracks. The on-screen gem looked away from her data and gazed squarely at them.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"There was one, and only one." Flint repeated.

"What do you mean 'one'?" She asked. "You mean one so far?"

"No, there is one, and only one on that entire planetoid." Came a voice from behind, as the captain walked into the monitor's view.

"2D2R, what is the meaning of this?" she asked. "That was a class four kindergarten and you got only a _single_ gem from a planetoid that rich?"

"That's right." She replied smugly.

"Your superiors will not like that one bit 2D2R." the monitor warned.

"Actually, it was about that one gem I wanted to talk to my superiors about." Peridot said, still smugly smiling.

"What could possibly interest the higher-ups about a single gem?" she asked.

"What if that gem was a diamond?" Flint asked.

"…what." The monitor said flatly.

"See for yourself." She replied before they all moved aside and the monitor tilted up, revealing Pink Diamond who, still hunched over, managed a wave.

The Peridot over the call seemed to go dead silent for a few seconds before they heard a small audible reply. "…connecting you to diamond line… please hold…"

* * *

White diamond sat upon her throne, three different holographic interfaces in front of her. She was doing her regular duties, doling out the orders for every other gem on Homeworld and about a half-dozen colonies as well as some orders/advice to her younger sisters.

She had platinum-white hair that stood up in five spikes. Her features were sharp and pointed, speaking of age and authority, her diamond pupils looking fierce. She wore a silver-white and grey body suit with a long flowing coat over top, matching the suit's colors. She also wore long, grey, fingerless gloves and silvery dress boots. Her gemstone lay in her forehead, highlighting her face's features.

Her Pearl, a fancy model matching the color scheme and dress style of her superior addressed her. "My Diamond?" she asked.

White Diamond broke her gaze from her monitors, gazing down unblinkingly at the pearl barely even a quarter of her size.

"There is a call for you ma'am."

"Who is interrupting my work?" She asked, her voice aged yet powerful and wise. "And why?"

"There was a call ma'am." She repeated. "The team sent out to retrieve the gems meant to be fully grown today. They only came back with one."

"One?"

"One, from the entire kindergarten." Pearl said.

WD raised an eyebrow at this. "How is that possible?"

"The crew claims the entire planetoid was used to create the single gem." Pearl explained.

"And this gem, what was it? A quartz? An olivine?" she asked.

"It was… a diamond, my Diamond." Pearl finished.

White Diamond blinked once then dismissed her interface, now giving her full attention to the Pearl, who wasn't at all used to the sudden increase in scrutiny as she began to shift uncomfortably. "Give the line to me."

Pearl did what she was asked, pulling up the communication line she had put on hold and accessed it, three gems appearing before her, all giving the diamond salute as they registered her presence.

"My Diamond I-" began Peridot.

"Stop. Skip the pleasantries. Show me this Diamond." White ordered.

The three moved to the side and Pink moved forward the best she could until she and White Diamond could see each other clearly.

"So you are the diamond." White said. If she felt anything in particular about the news, she hid it well, her inflection said nothing.

"I am." Pink replied. "Just popped out actually. The crew and I are on our way to Homeworld."

"I see." White said, the same monotone permeating her voice. "I'll have a squad of quartzes waiting on your arrival. I look forward to our meeting."

"Yeah, sounds great. See you then." She said as the message cut out.

White Diamond looked down to her Pearl. "Leave." She ordered.

The Pearl gave a salute before exiting, leaving White Diamond alone. The old gem pressed a few buttons on her console and two separate monitors popped out of nowhere, one a shade of yellow and the other a blue hue.

The two recipients of the calls came as White's sisters entered her field of view. "White?" came the smooth voice of Blue Diamond. "What is it?"

"Yes, what?" asked Yellow Diamond in her authoritarian way.

"There is something you need to know about."

* * *

 **That'll do for now. You may be wondering why I've written this so short. Well, all the chapters will be significantly shorter than the usual 15k-ish words I do. This is mostly due to me writing them in about a 10 minute format, like the show. I'm also changing a few things, first with time I'm borrowing a couple terms from transformers with the whole "cycles" thing, second I'm making some assumptions and theories which will reveal themselves in time and the only reason I'm not sharing them with you now is the fact that they'd be spoilers for the story ahead. Third, I'm not sure weather to label this K+ or T but I'm going T for now, just so no one gets mad at me in the future. But that's about it, goodbye.**


	2. Ch 2: Sisters

**Trying to write more these days, make up for lost time.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Sisters

The four gems flew through space in relative silence. The three lesser gems seemed to be attempting to distract themselves from their passenger, attempting to do anything to keep from gawking at her some more.

PD didn't mind, she barely even noticed. She was busy looking out the window nearest to her, seemingly lost as she watched the cosmos race by, it fascinated her, the complexity and seemingly endlessness of the universe. So many different possibilities.

Still, she broke her gaze to observe the three from time to time. She knew what they were, almost by some instinct. The green little one was called "Peridot", a term she knew, an engineering type of gem. The other two were a flint and an amethyst, fighting types of gems, soldiers, warriors. She also observed their uniform, a grey diamond shape was adorned but each held it in different locations, Peridot on her chest, Amethyst on her shoulder and Flint held it on her arm. She knew what it meant, they were symbols of her sisters.

Her sisters.

She felt a small amount of unease at the thought of their presence. She knew who they were, _what_ they were. The elite, the top, perfect. And she was one of them. It was a lot to live up to, something she found herself unsure of. What if they didn't approve? What would they do? Would they simply dismiss her as an imitation? Put her back on that far away planetoid, forgotten? Or even… shatter her?

She shook her head. These weren't comforting thoughts to have. She should focus on making her best impression she could.

"We're coming up on Homeworld now!" Peridot announced.

Flint used the communicator as a yellow-green gem came on screen. "Flight control, this is recon ship 4VT requesting landing."

The gem on screen pressed a few buttons and answered. "4VT you have been granted Grade 5 access, please proceed to these coordinates." She said before Peridot registered the information coming through from her captain's chair.

"Thank you control, coming in now." Flint answered back before shutting off. She turned around to Peridot and Amethyst. "Grade 5 huh. I guess White Diamond really wants to see us."

Peridot rolled her eyes. "She obviously wants to see her, Flint." She said gesturing to Pink Diamond, who had been absorbed in taking in the magnificent sight of Homeworld, a beating heart at the center of a thriving technologically-superior society. Tall glowing spires shot up all over the planet, the flashes of warp pads could be seen all from miles away.

The ship began to slow and landed on the indicated pad, quartzes of all types lined the walkway. The door of the ship opened with a hiss and Pink Diamond wiggled her way back through as she emerged out into the open… she got stuck again.

She called behind her. "Could you guys…?" Flint and Amethyst looked to each other before shrugging and pushing Pink Diamond out all the way, causing her to fall flat on her face.

She quickly got up and dusted herself off before looking over to the quartzes lined up before her, they knelt down and gave the Diamond salute.

"Excuse me, my Diamond?" came a high-pitched nasally voice. PD looked down to her feet and saw what she recognized to be a Pearl, a fancy looking one as well, a grey-silver color scheme adorning her person.

"Yes?" she answered.

"White Diamond has requested your presence." She informed, then looking behind PD to the three gems who had escorted her. "…and only yours." She finished.

PD looked behind her and then back to the Pearl. "Are you sure they can't come."

The pearl merely bowed. "I am sorry, my Diamond. But it was White Diamond's request for a private audience."

Peridot spoke up. "It's okay, my diamond. It was an honor just to be in your presence." She said with a bow, the other two followed suite.

Pink Diamond frowned for a moment but then smiled again. "I hope we meet again."

"Your words fill us with pride, my Diamond." Flint said.

"You humble us." Amethyst followed up.

PD then turned back to the Pearl and gestured for her to lead the way as the ship powered up and took off.

"So where are we going exactly?" she asked.

"To the Diamond Spire." The Pearl answered.

They then came to a large warp pad and stepped on, a light surrounding them before they took off. They soon found themselves on the center of another pad, this one in front of giant doors on the side of magnificent looking spire, larger and grander than any other she'd seen.

Pearl stepped forward, off the pad and gestured for PD to follow her. Two quartzes, a Jasper and another Amethyst stood on either side of the door. Pearl made a nod to them and they nodded back, turning around and simultaneously pressing hand-pads, the doors opening with a whoosh of air.

The two stepped inside, and if Pink thought she was impressed with the outside, she was blown away by the inside. It was hollow but lights of all sizes and colors blinked against the walls and orbs of light floated above, suspended in air. She could make out gems of all types going about their routines, running Homeworld's affairs and sending out orders as they came down from on high. On the walls were large murals of gems, showing off the history of their culture and the majesty of the diamonds.

Pearl lead PD through to the center of the room, stepping on another pad, motioning for PD to join her. They began to rise and Pink Diamond had an even better view as her vantage point continued to rise.

The stopped near the top and stepped off, striding forward to another door, this one adorned with three diamonds, interconnected in the center. The emblem of the empire. They opened, allowing Pink Diamond and Pearl to walk through, finding themselves in a circular room, large thrones of blue, yellow and white of equal distance from one another.

Pink Diamond could see a figure upon the white throne, waiting with fingers interlocked in her lap. She knew who this was, the Diamond from the communications call, her eldest sister, possibly the eldest gem ever.

This was White Diamond.

PD and Pearl stopped in the center of the room as the latter gave the salute and bowed. "My Diamond, may I present, Pink Diamond." She said.

White Diamond held up a hand. "That will do, Pearl. You may leave." She gave another salute before doing as she was told, leaving the two diamonds alone in silence.

White looked down on Pink from her throne, seeming to take in her every feature. Pink could feel the scrutiny of her gaze and subconsciously straightened up, standing tall, trying to seem as impressive as she could.

White spoke after a time. "So, you are the new Diamond." She said, in the same emotionless monotone from before.

"Looks that way." She replied with a little chuckle. White remained stone-faced and PD soon stopped. White Diamond then stepped form her throne, walking down the and towards Pink. She stopped in front of her, she had almost an entire head on Pink Diamond whose eye level was on her chin, forcing her to tilt her head up as White Diamond gazed down.

White Diamond then knelt for a moment, gazing at Pink Diamond's gem who was now feeling more than a little subconscious. She then stood to full height and did something PD did not expect. White Diamond put her arms around and embraced her, Pink Diamond's head resting below White's chin.

Pink flinched at the sudden contact but after a moment's pause returned the affection. "Its been so long since we've had another join our ranks. I was beginning to think it'd never happen again." White said, a bit of sorrow leaking into her voice. She then let go and looked at Pink fully in the face, grasping her upper arms. "And look at you, you _are_ one of us. You're perfect." She finished.

PD blushed at this, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. "Wow… I… thanks."

White Diamond smiled, it was small, but sincere. "And wait until our sisters get here. They're going to be-" she started before the doors opened again, revealing Pearl again but this time accompanied by another stranger almost four times her size.

The gem wore a large flowing cloak of blue, her features being mostly obscured except for her mouth, which was now shaped in a thin line and her hands folded together in front of her as she walked.

The Pearl spoke again. "My Diamonds may I-" she started.

"Yes, yes. I know who she is. Go now and only interrupt if our last sister arrives." White Diamond said as she strode by Pink and made her way across the room. Pearl saluted and made her way out as White went to greet the cloaked gem.

"Sister, always good to see you." Blue said in a polite and smooth voice.

"And you." White said returning the greeting.

BD looked past White and saw Pink looking curiously in her direction. "And this is the one you told me about."

"Blue Diamond, this is our newest and youngest sister, Pink Diamond. Pink Diamond this is the youngest after you, Blue Diamond." White said, introducing them.

Pink was eye level with the new gem in front of her. Blue pulled her hood down and Pink saw the piercing gaze of her bright diamond-pupiled azure eyes and long flowing navy locks. She was stunningly gorgeous, with luscious lips, high-rounded cheekbones and a down pointed nose.

Blue offered her hand as she smiled sweetly to her younger sister. Pink took it only to be pulled into another embrace. "Another Diamond! By the stars! I was beginning to think I'd have to be the youngest sister forever!" she said with a little chuckle.

She then stepped back, taking in Pink Diamond's form in full, looking her up and down. "A little plain, but simplistic. It's very you." She said.

White Diamond spoke up. "So where is Yellow Diamond? I was expecting her almost the same time as you."

Blue turned to White. "You know her, can't leave anywhere before making sure everything is as it should be."

"You'd be wise to pick up the habit Blue, instead of relying all the time on your fortunetellers." White reprimanded.

"If I know what's going to happen what else do I need to prepare for?" she asked.

Pink Diamond raised a brow at this. "'Fortunetellers?'" she asked, curious.

Blue turned back to Pink. "Ah, that's right! You wouldn't know would you?" she said with a sly smile. "I'll have to show you them sometime, they're-" she stopped as the doors opened again.

Pearl stepped in with one last stranger quadruple her height. She had a pointed, upturned nose, plump lips and a long neck. Her hair was a short bob with two spiked tips and bright yellow with diamond shaped pupils. She wore a black and olive bodysuit as well as a yellow coat with very large shoulder pads and a cutout for her gemstone. She also wore gloves of a slightly darker yellow and very dark olive yellow boots.

Pearl once again attempted to do her duties. "My Diamonds, may I present Yellow-"

"Yes, yes. Thank you Pearl. You may go now." White said dismissively, as she walked to greet the final sister. Pearl did a final salute an about face and left.

White strode to greet Yellow and they shook hands. "White Diamond, a pleasure to see you."

"And you dear sister." White said as Blue came up to give her own greeting.

"Hello Yellow. Good to see you're doing well." Blue Diamond said.

"As well as ever." Yellow said, her voice almost dismissive.

She turned her gaze to Pink Diamond, who greeted her sister with a smile as she walked over. "Hi! I'm-"

"The new Diamond." Yellow finished. "Pink Diamond." She walked closer to Pink and studied her, walking in circles around her and stopping in front. "The height is right, as well as the body…" she seemed to say only to herself, peering down at Pink's Diamond. "And this confirms it." She finished, now looking Pink in the eye. "You are indeed one of us."

Yellow held out her hand and Pink embraced her, Yellow took a step back at this. She then sighed before giving a small smile and retuning the hug. "It's good to finally meet you sister."

Blue seemed the giddiest of the three, a wide smile upon her features. "It feels like its been so long since we three were gathered. And now this?" She said motioning to PD. "This is wonderful! A new diamond! A _fourth_ Diamond! We have to do something!"

"Indeed, there are many things to do now." White Diamond said as she turned and walked back to her throne as Yellow and Blue walked towards theirs. Once they all sat down, leaving Pink in the center of the room White pressed a button on her chair. A bright light appeared in the center of the room above PD's head. It formed shapes of all sizes and kinds until it stopped. Spheres of interconnected light shone of varying shades and intensity.

PD looked at it curiously until her eyes widened with recognition. "This is-"

"The territories of our society." White finished. "A star-map of our empire."

White then pressed another button and one of the spheres shone brightly, near the center of the 3-D map. "This is where we are, Homeworld."

"The beating heart of our ever-expanding domain." Blue chimed in.

"It is from here that we Diamonds doll out the duties of every other gem in existence." Yellow continued to explain.

"We strive to expand this territory to the farthest of stars, in the name of knowledge and exploration." White said. "It was the duty that fell to the three of us…" she said now looking down to PD. "…and now it falls to you as well."

"Be mindful Pink Diamond." Yellow spoke from her chair. "Lesser gems will look to you for example. You must show them the correct path."

"Every gem is an individual, has their own strength and weaknesses." Blue spoke. "But we are Diamonds. We have no flaws, not of body nor of mind. If any one of us falter even a little it can mean the end of life as we know it."

"It is because of this we strive towards the ideal, the same ideal we instill into the lesser masses." Yellow continued. "To do what they were made for to the best of their ability. And what we were made to do is lead…"

"To inspire…" Blue said.

"To guide. A task that is done not because we want to do it, but because it needs to be done. Are you ready to take it on?" White asked.

Pink felt the weight and responsibility of leadership suddenly being thrust upon her. Part of her felt fear in anticipation while another part accepted it without a second thought, ready to do her part for all gems. She gave a look of determination and looked to each of her sisters. "I am ready to accept this task."

White gave a small half-smile. "Of course you are my dear, you are a Diamond." She pressed a button and the hologram disappeared.

"Haven't heard that speech in a long time." Blue said.

Yellow gave a small chuckle. "Not since it was your turn all those galactic cycles ago."

"At any rate, this is cause for celebration!" Blue announced. "All the empire must know of Pink Diamond's ascension!"

"I suppose we'll have to change some of the tapestry too." White Diamond mused, resting her head on one of her hands. "We can't have three diamond sigil with four of us."

"I can get started on those." Blue offered.

"What she really needs is a symbol of her authority." Yellow interjected. "We should have some gems made for her immediately."

"What about a Diamond palace for her?" Blue added. "She needs one of those as well."

Her three elder sisters continued to talk about her future as PD continued to feel farther and farther away from the conversation. White noticed this and spoke up and above her younger sisters. "Enough. There is much to do, but also much to take in." she looked down to Pink Diamond. "Pink Diamond you should take some time to take a rest and get to know your home."

Pink seemed to take a sigh of relief. "Yes, that sounds good." She said.

Blue got from her seat, walking down to Pink Diamond and taking hold of her arm in her's. "She can come with me! I can show her the world!" she said excited. "You won't believe the shining shimmering splendors." She said with a smile.

"No harm in it." White said. "Be sure to be ready soon though Pink Diamond, there is much work ahead of us."

Pink gave a look of determination and nodded to White. The two then walked out the doors leaving the elder Diamonds alone.

Yellow looked to White. "Do you really think she'll be up to the challenge?"

"She's one of us. She'll find her way." White assured.

"Well, I suppose I might as well see how the R&D has come along since I've been away." Yellow said, getting from her throne.

"Not doing anything too nefarious, right?" White asked.

"Hmph." Yellow said before walking out of the room, leaving White alone.

She looked to the two thrones of her sisters.

Blue was always artistic and relied on mysticism, she tended to put style over substance and usually did things only she liked. However she also reacted poorly when things didn't go as she expected, often reacting with fits of anger.

Yellow was older, more disciplined, took adversity in stride, a true military commander. But, anything less than perfection was simply garbage in her eyes, preferring to start from scratch than attempt to fix what was broken.

She then thought of her newest sister. Pink seemed thoughtful, but also young and naïve, yet so full of possibilities.

"I can tell already, things are going to get interesting…" White Diamond said to herself with a knowing smile before bringing up her display, resuming her usual duties.

* * *

Pink and Blue stepped on the platform and began to descend. "You're going to love it here, I just know it." Blue assured as she threw up her hood.

"So how are we going to get around?" Pink asked.

Blue snapped her fingers. "You're right. We'll need a ride." She then pulled out a small device from beneath her cloak and pressed a few buttons quickly, it beeped for a few moments before a voice came from the device.

"Yes, my Diamond?" came a demure, quiet voice.

"Pearl? Bring around my personal ship." She ordered.

"As you command." She replied before cutting out.

They reached the bottom and made their way towards the main entrance. "Wait until you see this." She said almost braggingly.

They stepped through the large doors only to be met by a magnificent ship, it was sleek, stylish, with blue hues and much larger than the scout ship Pink had been escorted on.

Blue Diamond spoke. "There it is, my personal cruiser." She said without much grandeur as if she had just described the weather.

"This is yours?" Pink asked, almost in awe.

"Yeah I know, it's kinda small but I like the easy mobility you know?" Blue replied.

The craft landed and a large side panel flew open in a whoosh, quartzes of all types came piling out lining up opposite each other leading to the entrance, all wearing the diamond insignia of Blue Diamond's court. A smaller gem then came out and bowed low before the Diamonds, it was a pearl. She looked much different than the other one Pink had met earlier. This one seemed quiet and reserved, she wore a very light blue body suit and knee-length sheer skirt. She was tall thin and had a pointed nose, like most pearls, but her hair fell in front of her eyes, obscuring them from sight.

"My Diamond, we await your command." She said her head still bowed.

"Very good Pearl." She turned to look at Pink. "Coming?" she asked.

They both walked towards the ship and Pink looked to either side of herself as she did. The gems of Blue Diamond's court all seemed to have a theme, besides their blue hues all of them wore headgear of some kind or had long bangs that fell in front of their eyes like the pearl before them.

"Why do they all hide their eyes?" she asked her sister in a hushed tone.

Blue seemed to almost giggle at the inquiry. "You could say they're taking from me." Pink gave a curious look and Blue continued. "You see these common gems? They haven't yet earned the right to look upon my beautiful visage, so I conceal it from them. And just as I hide my face they hide their eyes so as to not be tempted to sneak a look."

They reached the mouth of the ship and Pink spoke again. "You mean you do it because you think it makes you look better?"

Blue stopped just inside her ship looking back to her sister. "My dear sister, what could be more important than one's image?"

Pink seemed to stop for a moment before her face, once calm, began to twist, the corners of her mouth turning up as she visibly tried to stay quiet. She then visibly shook for a moment and bent over. Blue looked at her curiously which quickly evolved into concern.

"Siste-" but Blue's voice was cut off as Pink Diamond burst out laughing right inside her ship. Onlookers getting ready to salute or bow as their Diamond passed now gawked at the sight of another Diamond, one they hadn't seen before struggling with fits of laughter as their own seemed to have turned into a stone statue looking absolutely mortified.

"Hehehe! I-I I'm sorry! Haha!" Pink said as she tried to calm herself, still holding her sides, eyes screwed shut.

Blue then interrupted the fit by pulling her towards one of the ship's lifts so fast she thought for a moment she was flying across the room. Blue then pressed a button and turned around, looking to all the gems many of whom stood stock-still. "Well?! She asked. "What are you gawking for?!"

The gems immediately stopped staring and began to resume their normal duties as the lift arrived and Blue pushed Pink into it. She closed the door and turned around to PD a huge frown on her features. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, her voice low, on the verge of a growl.

Pink gave a confused look. "Wh-what do you mean?" she said stuttering a bit.

"That. Back there. Laughing like an idiot in front of my court?" she accused, Pink could tell she was attempting to hold back a bit of anger with her words.

"I'm sorry." PD said quickly. "It was just the idea of placing so much importance on mere imagery was-"

"Was what?" Blue asked coldly, shutting PD up. Blue grabbed Pink by the shoulder, pushing her up against the elevator wall. "We are _Diamonds._ " Blue said putting emphasis on the word. "Have you already forgotten? We are their leaders. We cannot appear weak or display ourselves in such a matter." She added gravely. "Anything less than awe from them is unacceptable, and we must always act in a manner suiting a Diamond."

"It's weakness to laugh?" she asked after a moment.

Blue sighed, then embraced her sister. "Oh Pink, I'm sorry, I just forgot you're new is all." She broke the embrace, her arms on her shoulders as before but now softer. "We just gotta teach you what's what, then you'll be the Diamond we all see in you."

Pink wasn't sure how to respond to this and BD simply took her silence as a confirmation.

Blue then smiled warmly as the elevator doors opened again.

"Now let me show you the wonders of our world."

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Yellow arrived at her spire, large and imposing with presence, just like its owner. She was saluted by two guards at the entrance and barely acknowledged then as she strode by. More salutes as she neared the main lift inside the tower. She stepped on and began to descend far below.

She arrived at her destination taking a look around, awaiting to be acknowledged. Once she was there were gasps as gems, Olivines mostly began saluting. One she spotted in particular and walked towards her, a green little gem, a chrysolite.

"M-my Diamond!" she said clearly taken back. "I wasn't expecting- I mean I wasn't told that you-"

Yellow Diamond held up a hand and the gem immediately silenced. "I did not contact you because I did not come all the way back from the frontiers to see you, it was simply convenient." She said.

"A-as you say, my Diamond." Chrysolite responded.

Yellow looked down at her expectedly, some of the other gems trying to sneak a peek at what their leader was doing. "Well? Are you going to show me what you have so far or not?" she asked.

"Right away ma'am." She replied and led the diamond through the labs, stopping at one table, picking up a baton looking instrument. "We've been working on modifying this baton with high amounts of light disrupting particles." She said turning it on. It glowed for a moment before quickly dimming ad shorting out.

Yellow narrowed her eyes and Chrysolite moved on, pointing to a window as she and YD looked inside to see a gem working on what looked like a model for a new type of space craft.

"We've been working on a new revolutionary craft that is faster and has twice the power of our normal scout cruisers." The mini-craft at the moment shuddered before falling to the ground and exploding. "A… few fixes to make as you can see." She said quietly.

Yellow Diamond then spoke to her in an almost hushed tone. "Enough with the side projects. What about what I asked you to create for me."

The Chrysolite looked almost defeated, but relented as she showed her superior to the far side of the room. There was another lift and they stepped aboard, going three floors before finally hitting the bottom, giant double door before them. Chrysolite pressed a hand pad and the doors opened, revealing another pair of doors and a flint standing right before it.

"What is this?" Yellow demanded in a low tone.

"The weapon you asked me to make, it has… side effects." Chrysolite said almost inaudibly.

"What kind of 'side effects'?"

The little green gem turned to the flint and nodded, the flint did the same and turned around opening the door behind her and motioning for them to follow her.

The three stepped through and found themselves in a white tiled, windowless room. At the far end of which, behind a force field, some sort of creature snarled.

It was a mix of orange and green-blue, it snarled and hissed, a large quadrupedal beast that batted its paw against the cage with anger and frustration.

"What is this… thing?" Yellow demanded.

"That was the test subject about 2 cycles ago." Chrysolite explained. "The intended effect of the weapon seemed to work at first, but then… this happened. It fractured two gems and destroyed a third, we just barely got it contained before it could do any more damage."

Yellow seemed mildly intrigued, stepping forth to inspect the creature closer. "My Diamond I wouldn't do-" But the warning came too late, YD's presence seemed to incite this creature as it bashed its body against the field, over and over again, faster and harder before it finally slipped through. The beast charged Yellow who seemed not the least bit frightened before Flint came from behind and smacked it down with a war hammer.

The beast relented but only for a moment as it knocked Flint clear across the room. It then began to charge Yellow again, jumping in the air attempting to pounce her.

But the air suddenly crackled as the beast neared. Then just as it was about to land, large bolts of electricity surged and struck the beast, sending it sliding across the room. It was motionless for a few moment before weakly attempting to get up, only to be hit by another bolt, finally causing it to poof into nothingness, a gem falling to the ground where it once stood as Flint picked herself up.

Yellow Diamond walked over to the gem, staring down at it before picking it up and inspecting it. "This is not what I asked for." She told Chrysolite without turning around. "The next time I come back here I had better see results." She said dropping the gem to the floor.

Chrysolite snapped out of her awe. "Yes, my Diamond."

Yellow Diamond put a single pointed heel over the gem and pressed down, causing it to begin to crack. "And if not…"

 _ **CRACK…**_

 _ **CRACK…**_

…

 _ **SMASH**_

* * *

 **Done. Great. Awesome. I churned out another one. So… quick rundown on my interpretation of the Diamonds. Blue is a bratty diva, Yellow is a stuck-up pragmatist, White is a sage-y traditionalist. That's their personalities for the most part here and I think it suits them pretty well. Hope this was fun to read, and please review, it helps me to write.**


	3. Ch 3: Learning

**Next up is number 3! *jazz hands***

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Learning

Blue and Pink stepped off the lift and PD took a quick look around. She recognized it as the bridge of the ship, gems were situated at stations all along the walls, a large window was on the other side of the room looking out and in the center was a large ornately decorated blue chair.

Blue Diamond's command chair.

Blue walked over to the chair and sat down, turning around and grinning at Pink Diamond who returned the gesture with a small smile. Blue turned to look at one of the gems milling about. "You." She said pointing to one of them who immediately stopped what she was doing and saluted, awaiting her orders. "Fetch another chair for my esteemed guest."

The gem nodded and ran off into the lift, in the meantime Pink Diamond strode over to her sister, still looking around, visibly impressed. "This ship is amazing."

Blue gave a large smirk but played it off, pretending to look around feigning disinterest. "Yes, I suppose it suits me fine." She then turned to look fully at PD. "In time you'll have one just like it." She paused for a moment, her grin betraying her amusement. "Well… perhaps not as stylish."

The gem from before returned just then, followed by two quartzes who were carrying a large table. She saluted. "My Diamond, this was the best we could do that would accommodate your guest's… er… size." It was true, it may have been a large table for normal sized gems, but to Pink Diamond it looked closer to a stool.

Blue frowned. "You expect me to have my guest sit on that?!" she barked.

The gems gave panicked looks, looking to each other quickly. "I'm sorry my Diamond it-"

"It's fine." Pink cut in, earning the attention of both Blue and the gems.

Pink bent down and picked up the table with one hand, turning it over curiously before setting it underneath herself and sitting down. The table creaked for a moment before holding. PD gave a smile to the gems. "Thank you for the chair." She said kindly.

The gems looked to each other before back to her. "It-It was our pleasure." The first gem said quickly.

Blue continued to frown, looking like she wanted to say something but instead she only sighed and waved them off. "You've done your duty, go." She ordered. The gems saluted and went back to work. Blue turned to look at Pink who was sitting relatively comfortable on her stool. "Well… I suppose it'll do, we aren't going very far." She then spoke in a commanding tone to the crew around her. "Set corse for my palace."

"As you command." One of them replied before they turned around and set the coordinates and began to fly through the air. Pink watched from her seat, which she scooted next to Blue Diamond's command chair, as the cityscape of homeworld raced by. It was only a few minutes before they stopped again and Blue Diamond got from her seat, motioning for Pink Diamond to follow her.

Pink Diamond did as she and Blue entered the lift once again. "Where are we exactly?" she asked.

Blue gave a grin, not turning to speak. "We're at my palace my dear."

"Your what?"

Blue turned a little more toward Pink. "My palace. The heart of my power on Homeworld." The lift doors open and Pink and Blue strode towards the entrance of the ship. The door opened with a hiss and Pink looked up to the giant spire before her. Traces of lines and shapes and different shades of blue intertwined on it.

"It's amazing." Pink said.

"Heh, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were amazed by every little thing little sister." Blue said.

Pink blushed and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, averting her gaze. Blue took her hand and led her inside, there were gems working just as she'd seen in in the first spire and the same murals she'd seen were here as well. "I've been meaning to ask, what are those?" she asked pointing to them.

Blue gazed up. "Those are murals my dear." She answered.

"I know that, I mean what are they about?" she asked.

"Ah… those depict the history of our society." She said. 'Let me show you." She took Pink's hand and led her to a lift and they began to ascend. She pointed towards a large mural of what vaguely looked like White Diamond, alone on plane of nothingness. "More than a hundred thousand years ago, White Diamond was created, the first of the Diamonds, the first of the gems. She found herself on Homeworld all alone, but she did not despair."

Blue then pointed to another mural, this one depicting White Diamond with her hands up, holding an orb and it shined, rays coming out of it and hitting the ground. "In time she figured out how to create more gems like herself, but they were smaller, weaker, slower. White Diamond was disappointed but not deterred, over the course of a thousand years she built a culture, a society and conquered the whole of Homeworld." She finished pointing to another mural where White Diamond stood above what looked to be lesser gems as they surrounded a large sphere, what PD assumed to be Homeworld.

"The society grew exponentially, kindergartens were produced all over the planet and gems were made one after another. The lesser gems built monuments to White Diamond's magnificence and stove to do her every whim, such was their purpose." Blue continued point to yet another part of the mural. "But White Diamond felt desolation even with praises surrounding her. Having no peer in power, no being she could look upon in equal terms drove her to do anything she could to recreate the circumstances of her own conception. And in time…" Blue diamond whipped around and pointed to what PD recognized to be her older sister. "Yellow Diamond was finally created."

"White Diamond was overjoyed, finally a being who could match her, someone she could call 'sister'." She then motioned to another part which showed the two Diamond interlocking hands above themselves, a light glowing from the union. "The new Diamond brought forth a wave of new ideas that White had never before considered, plans of expansions and technological advances that spurred the budding Empire forward, off of Homeworld and into the stars." She then pointed to what looked like Yellow and White reaching out from homeworld and grasping spheres, which PD assumed to be planets, likely the earliest colonies.

"As their reach grew and grew so too did the types of gems that could be made, their pioneering advancing the empire by decades with each new star system that was added. And soon…" She gave that small smirk again. "A third Diamond was created." She turned to Pink as she posed to match her mural's stance. "…Blue Diamond. From then on the three sisters continued to gather planets and stars into their ever-growing culture. And that has remained unchanged for tens of thousands of years..." she gave a smile to Pink. "Until now." She extended her arms to everything around her. "Soon you too will be added to these murals, depicting the great and powerful Pink Diamond."

"Wow… that's a lot to live up to." She said.

"Of course, many things will be expected of you, as we've said." Blue replied.

"So that's our whole history?" Pink asked.

"In short, yes. There's a few odd details I left out but that is it. But if you want a full comprehensive you should ask White, though I gotta warn you when she's on a roll she can talk your ear off." Blue added, with a hint of laughter which Pink shared.

With that they finally reach the top of the spite, a room looking fairy small, the ceiling relatively low, a door just big enough for a Diamond at one end. "So, what are you going to show me now?"

"Come here." She said leading Pink towards the door and opening it. They stepped out onto a balcony, the light of Homeworld's sun was fading, dipping down over the horizon, setting the sky on fire with crimson and orange hues. In the distance Pink could see a large statue of a Diamond, holding a large crystal sphere above her head. The sun had hit it just right to where the light fractured into even more color patterns, creating a marvelous display of color before her. The figure was a striking resemblance to her sister and Pink turned to look at her as Blue put her hood down once more.

"It's beautiful." Pink said looking down at Homeworld's splendor in the amber light.

Blue continued to smile at her younger sister. "It's as I said sister, nothing is more important than beauty." She and Pink walked towards the railing and looked out upon their society. "Hard to imagine White creating all this from nothing, huh?" Pink looked out at it too and she had to agree. "But that's our real power as Diamonds, leading others to greatness."

The sun set just then, sweeping the metropolis into darkness before the light in the statue's hand began to glow. "'We are the lights in the darkness, guiding the way.'" Blue said with a chuckle, learning against the railing of the balcony, staring out to her look-alike. "It's what White would always tell me when I first got here." She said almost wistfully. "She'd always go on and on about, our duty as Diamonds, our responsibility to our society." She turned to look at Pink over her shoulder. "But now I see what she means, I mean look at all we've been able to do." She said motioning with one hand over the city scape. "Ever since I've gotten here our empire has only grown more and more. New minerals from far off planets, new types gems to be added to our society, and it's because of us that it was all possible."

"What do you mean?" Pink asked.

"What do I mean? I mean that it was because of us that this…" she said turning around to Pink fully and motioning again to the ground below. "…is all because we were here."

"What? You mean gems?"

"Diamonds!" she said almost exasperatedly. "Leaders who could direct the masses, thousands upon millions of beings acting under one purpose one rule."

"But is that what they wanted?" Pink asked.

Blue gave a surprised look. "What who wanted?"

"Those gems. Is this what they wanted for their society?" Pink asked as she stepped up to the railing and looked out as well. "We are their leaders so doesn't that mean we should do things that are better for everyone?"

"What we do _is_ better for everyone." Blue replied. "You ask if this is what those lesser gems wanted, right?" she asked and Pink nodded. "Well then what does, say, a quartz want?" Pink was silent. "She'd probably tell you she wanted to fight, or go against a strong enemy or go over battle tactics. An olivine? To work on technology most likely. A bismuth? To build things. A pearl? To serve."

"Are you saying that those gems can't have any wants outside of their purpose?"

"I'm saying that thoughts outside of their purpose could cause our society to collapse." Blue explained. "Imagine what would have happened if White had let the other gems do what they wanted, our society would be divided and scattered. All this…" she motioned again out to the sprawling planet. "…would have never existed." Blue put a hand on Pink's arm and PD turned to look her sister in the face. "You need to understand Pink, we're here for a reason, they need something to work towards, and we're just facilitating that need." She chuckled. "In a way we serve them as much as they serve us." Her pervious chuckle became full on laughter. "Stars, listen to me. I sound just like White." Pink smiled uneasily at this, turning back to the metropolis. Blue then patted Pink on the shoulder. "It's alright if you don't understand, I didn't either at first. Don't worry though, you'll learn soon enough."

Pink was uneasy for a moment, that phrase kept coming up and she wasn't sure she liked the context of it. But before she could dwell on it the pearl from before came quietly through the door. Blue turned to look at her, quickly putting up her hood once again. "What is it?" she asked.

"White Diamond has requested your presence, my diamond, yours and Pink Diamond's." she said in her usual quiet voice.

Blue clasped her hands together. "Ah! Excellent! White must have finally set up the communications for the broadcast." She deduced.

"Broadcast? Of what?" Pink asked turning to look at her sister.

"Of your ascension obviously!" Blue said in a duh sort of way. "All the empire must know of your existence." Blue took her sister under the arm and walked back through the door as the demure pearl watched in silence. "No time to waste. I'll show you more of Homeworld later, but this is more important." She stepped back on the lift and they began to descend but this time stopped on another floor.

"Where are we?" Pink asked.

"This floor has my own personal warp pad on it, we'll be using that to get back to White Diamond's palace." Blue explained as another big pair of doors opened and they walked through, stepping onto the large warp pad inside and teleporting away.

The two Diamonds found themselves in a room just like the one they had just come from though this one had shades of white and silver instead of blue hues. There were once again inside White's spire, they looked down to see the pearl from before waiting on them. "My diamonds, if you please." She said before leading the way to the lift.

They stopped at the floor to the throne room and walked through the doors again, White Diamond was once again sitting in her seat, waiting in silence her hands lightly gripping on the arm rests. When they reached the center of the room the pearl dismissed herself and walked off. Pink looked around to see Yellow Diamond sitting in her throne as well, a tight-lipped and serious expression upon her features.

Blue Diamond addressed White. "I thought we'd have more time."

"I contacted communications almost as soon as you left." White replied. "All the empire will be tuning in in only a few moments." She then looked to Pink. "Be ready."

Yellow spoke up. "All eyes are on your Pink Diamond, make us proud."

Blue turned to her sister and gave a quick reassuring squeeze of her hand. "Don't worry they're gonna love you." With that she turned and walked to her own throne, sitting down in it.

White pressed a button on her throne and spoke into it. "Are we broadcasting?"

A voice called back from a speaker somewhere in the chair. "My Diamond, FTL communications are ready, awaiting your signal."

"Good, begin the broadcast." She ordered.

"As you wish." With that White punched a few buttons on the throne and a sphere came down from the ceiling, before separating off into three, each one stopping right in front of one of the thrones. Pink watched them and could hear a little whirl sound coming from them. Just then, three screens appeared, one adjacent to each of the diamonds, each showing a screen of a close up of their faces.

"Gems of the empire, hear me." WD spoke in an authoritarian tone. "This day is a day of great joy for our society. The rule of the Diamonds has been long and prosperous, under my personal care our culture evolved from the grounds of Homeworld. With the additions of Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond, our society has only grown stronger…" Blue and Yellow straightened up at the mention of their names, but said nothing. "…however all that ends today. The rule of three is no more." Pink gave a small grin at this, she knew the gems across the cosmos must have been speechless to this news, but the best was yet to come. "For we have found a fourth. Another Diamond has been found! I give you… Pink Diamond."

With that the three spheres turned to Pink Diamond, each showing a different angle as Pink looked into each of the spheres, now seeing lenses of some sort. She could feel the judgement of a thousand eyes upon her but she did not waiver. She stood tall and proud.

Across the cosmos gems were tuning in to the Diamond broadcast, all stopped to marvel at the newest Diamond. Everyone knew this had changed everything.

* * *

 _1083 Years Later…_

* * *

Nothing had changed.

Oh sure, some things had changed, just nothing recently. Pink Diamond thought this to herself as she sat cross legged on her terrace which she had built into the design of her palace. She had spent the last millennia or so getting to know her people, that is to say the other gems and her sisters.

The former had been easy to pick up, there were catalogues for every type of gem, classified by the minerals which created them. The tough quartzes, the intelligent olivines, etcetera, etcetera. She had spent decades with just about every kind now, knowing them as well as she could anything.

The later though had been somewhat more difficult. After the announcement of Pink Diamond's existence to the empire Yellow and Blue had soon said their farewells and went back to colonizing the far reaches of the cosmos. White Diamond was usually preoccupied herself with micromanaging Homeworld or sending out instructions to colonies and her sisters. Sure they stopped by from time to time, at least once in a decade, but for the most part they were off world, far away. Frankly, even when they did come to visit, their interactions were brief at best.

She had been shown some of the technological feats of their world by Blue Diamond, but Pink had learned some centuries earlier that conversations with Blue were mostly one-sided. Her azure sister mostly liked showing off, preferring to talk about her own little projects than listening to anything Pink had to say. Though she had noticed Blue would ask her opinion of something from time to time, but that was usually just an invitation to allow Blue to speak her mind more. In time though Pink had learned how to steer conversations back so there was more equal footing between them, so they could actually _have_ conversations instead of Pink just listening to Blue for what felt like _years_ at a time.

Yellow was the other extreme, all business and no pleasantries. Even after their initial embrace at their first meeting it seemed like Yellow preferred to take things… with some distance. When she came by it was usually to ask about Pink's progress on her studies in being a Diamond, she would respond with an estimate and then Yellow would move onto another subject concerning the welfare of the empire or how Homeworld as a whole was doing. It was as if she was doing some sort of calculations in her mind to determine the exact worth of Pink Diamond's progress, something like Pink Diamond: potential of being a successful Diamond: 2 percent increase since last visit. But it wasn't as if Yellow was ever rude or unpleasant to her, just a little cold, distant. It made her sort of sad that they weren't closer, but Blue had told her that was simply Yellow's way.

White, she had had the most interactions with, unfortunately there was little to be done there as well. See, after Pink Diamond's welcoming ceremony was over, White had grounded her to Homeworld and Homeworld only. No leaving to see the far reaches of the empire where colonies were being made or even near reaches where already made colonies went about their business. She had said it was crucial that Pink learned about being a Diamond as fast as she could and that the best way to do that was being at the heart of the empire, Homeworld. Much to her dismay this also included reading through tens of thousands of years of information, something that had preoccupied much of Pink Diamond's time and something she had grown to loath. Still, as grueling as it had been to read through all of it, she was glad she did, now having a much better picture in her mind of her people's culture. But unfortunately she had learned everything she'd ever want to know several decades earlier, she was just waiting on White's approval to leave now and that had been hard as talking to her at all.

As said White was constantly handling domestic affairs and didn't have the time to drop everything to spend time with her, as much as she'd pleaded to and as much as White Diamond had explained why that wasn't possible to her each time. Even when they finally found some time to talk, sister to sister, Pink got the feeling White didn't take her seriously. Every time they talked together and Pink pleaded to leave Homeworld White would ask her about some obscure information that White assured her she was supposed to know and when Pink inevitably failed to answer a question White would tell her she wasn't ready and send her off. Even when she did manage to get through the quiz, White had a tendency to go into tautologies about why she wouldn't allow Pink to leave, lecturing her until Pink thought she would finally just shatter from sheer boredom.

But now she was ready.

She was a diamond with legions of gems at her command now, she had been instructed on battle tactics by quartzes and technologies by olivines. She was going to leave homeworld _today_. That was why she was here, sitting in her serene, pink-hued terrace. She was gathering the strength to challenge White's authority, she was going to go in there and _demand_ to go off world, to see the stars. She had been waiting years for this, she had come up with a counter to every argument a rebuttal to every lecture, yes today would be day she was off this rock. Not that Pink disliked Homeworld, just that its monotony had gotten to her. Pink smiled to herself, practically rubbing her hands together with glee.

Just then she heard the woosh of the doors opening behind her and didn't even turn around to look. "Pearl? Is that you?"

"Yes, my Diamond." Answered Pearl who worked her way around so that she was in Pink's line of sight. She wore a flamingo pink bodysuit with an open diamond-shaped keyhole neckline, a short, blush pink, sheer skirt. Her pearl gemstone just below her neckline. Her hair was a rose pink, chin-length pixie cut that had a fringe covering her forehead, strands stuck out here and there but nothing too untidily.

This Pearl was her oldest companion. White had had her made within a month of Pink's arrival on Homeworld. The first of many, White had told her, which was true, after Pink had gotten down the basic facts of Homeworld White had assigned more and more gems under her command, some as teachers others as assistants, to teach her about leadership White had said. But even after all these years she felt a connection with Pearl that she didn't quite have with her other followers. They were close, perhaps even closer than Pink felt to her actual sisters. She had been as much a teacher and a guide to Pink as White had ever been, perhaps even more considering Pearl's undivided attention to her.

"Just checking up on me?" Pink asked somewhat amused.

"Your safety and well-being is my number one concern, my Diamond." Pearl replied with a smile. PD really did like this gem, she was polite and courteous, like all Pearls were, but the tone in which she spoke was not of a servant but of a friend, something Pink had far more of a desire for anyways.

"I think today is the day, Pearl." Pink said, reaching up toward the skies with an open hand then grasping it shut as if catching something above her. "We're going to go into space and nothing is gonna stop us."

"Nothing except White Diamond, my Diamond." Pearl replied.

Pink Diamond pouted for a moment before waving it off. "Ah… just you watch, I'm going to go in there today and White Diamond will have no choice but to let me leave." With this she stood to her full height. "You coming?"

"Always, my Diamond." Pearl said as she followed her master inside. They stepped on the center lift and made their way to the warp floor, getting off and lift and on to the pad before teleporting away to White Diamond's spire.

They appeared in White Diamond's warp pad room and made their way to the lift, getting on and making their way to the throne room. PD and Pearl stepped up to the doors to the throne room, now adorned with Pink Diamond's diamond among the others and it opened. PD and Pearl stepped inside making their way to the center of the room where White Diamond sat in her own throne, interfaces in front of her as she went about her day, how typical Pink thought.

"White Diamond, we need to talk." Pink said, White ignored it and continued her work. She looked down to Pearl who simply shrugged in return. "I said 'we need to talk'!" she said a little louder, still no response.

Pink Diamond sighed before walking over to her own throne and sitting down, Pearl standing by her side. White dismissed the interfaces and looked over to Pink Diamond as if seeing her for the first time. "As dear sister, what can I do for you?" she asked.

"I have a request to make." Pink said sternly.

"Oh?" White asked bemusedly.

"White Diamond, sister, I think it's time that I was able to leave Homeworld, to go to other colonies."

White was silent for a moment before answering. "Yes, I think you're right, it's about time you went off."

"White Diamond please, I-" Pink started before White's words registered in her mind. "Wait, did you say 'yes'?"

"I did. You've spent enough time here Pink Diamond, it's time you saw the rest of our empire." White replied. She noticed Pink looking a bit put out. "Is something the matter?"

"No it's just… I had this whole speech ready and now…" she trailed off and White gave a smile.

"You have my permission to leave, take however many gems you'd like with you and leave on your personal ship. I'll have coordinates sent over momentarily for one of our colonies." White said, stepping down from her throne as Pink did the same, Pearl stayed back, keeping a respectful distance as the two Diamonds met in the middle. White put a hand on her shoulder. "Go out there and show the stars what it means to be a Diamond." Pink Diamond almost with tears in her eyes embraced White in a way she hadn't in years. White Diamond gave an oof at the force but returned the embrace kindly.

Pink then let go, holding her sister's hands. "Thank you, thank you so much…" she said.

"Be safe sister." White said as a farewell before returning to her throne and Pink left through the throne room doors, followed closely by Pearl, eager for the cosmos to know her name.

* * *

 **Boom. Another one types the dust. Reviews are welcome and wanted, like really wanted, thanks for reading.**


	4. Ch 4: Outside

**More with chapter 4!**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 4: Outside

It had been everything she had read about… yet somehow mere words didn't do it justice.

Space was a vast void, its size almost boggling PD's mind.

She hadn't been out in space in over a thousand years. It had barely crossed her mind when she first popped from the ground but for the last few decades, maybe even centuries, it been all she thought about. The wonders that could be out there, just waiting to be discovered, so many possibilities.

The colony she was heading to was actually complete and she could have warped there, but she decided to take the scenic route instead. After all, this was her first time out in so long, she wanted to savor the feeling.

"My Diamond, we'll be arriving at colony Zohost, in only a few minutes." Reported a small green gem by Pink's command chair, breaking PD form her trance.

Pink looked down to see Peridot, the same one who had been at her creation, smiling up at her leader. "Thank you, Peridot."

Peridot continued to grin as she turned back to her console. Pink Diamond had requested all three of the gems be transferred to her ranks with a year of her ascension. They had been all too happy to agree and they'd been together ever since.

Pink had a working knowledge of Zohost. It was a relatively middle-aged colony, less than 2/3s the size of Homeworld, made shortly after Blue herself had been created. It wasn't on the fringes of their empire or anything, just another waypoint that connected the lines of communication across their society.

Pink was slightly disappointed at this. She had hoped to see what it was like way out in uncolonized space. But happy enough to get off Homeworld that she didn't really care.

They made their approach and Peridot talked through landing clearances, Pink mentally prepared herself, taking a big breath and letting it out slowly. It was time to act… ugh… _regal_.

* * *

The grey-green commander of Zohost gave a stern frown as she watched the pink hued cruiser land. She was tense with both excitement and curiosity but suppressed it as best she could. She had been given orders from White Diamond herself that Pink Diamond was going to be arriving today.

She didn't really know how to respond to that other than "Understood.". Why was a Diamond coming here? Was she on a mission? Did White Diamond send her here to… replace her? She grimaced at that thought. She hadn't thought her caretaking of the colony unsatisfactory and never had much in the way of complaints as to how she ran things. Still… was this about… no, it couldn't be… she hadn't heard a word of that in centuries.

That aside, she wasn't clear on how to interact with her superior either. Not that she forgot her curtsies but, she'd never been this close to an actual _Diamond_ before. There were only four in all the empire and one had decided to visit, the very pinnacle of their society, so close to her now, it felt unreal. What if there was some sort of protocol she'd forgotten when dealing with a Diamond and she forgot it?

Actinolite shook these thoughts from her head as the ship's boarding ramp lowered, and then she saw her.

Pink Diamond.

She was just as Actinolite remembered from the broadcast over a thousand years ago. Majestic and grand, like all Diamonds. Though she noted as Pink Diamond walked down, a few gems trailing behind her, she seemed… stiff? Almost uncomfortable really, like she was doing something she'd rather not but was determined to do it anyways.

Pink _hated_ this.

She kept her chin up and level and walked with careful steps as her followers trailed behind. She did not want to act this way, all high and mighty, but she knew she _had_ to. She was a Diamond, things were expected of her, something she had heard countless times. So here she was, chin held high, acting like she owned the place, which while she technically _did_ didn't mean she felt like flaunting it.

She peered down and saw small red gems lines up on either side of her, kneeling and giving the Diamond salute. She recognized them immediately, these were rubies. They were basically small quartz soldier knock-offs, not even half as strong as a quartz but about five times faster to make. She did not see any other quartzes lining up to see her either, she found this odd.

She then turned her attention to a gem who appeared to be waiting for her at the end of the ruby lines. A greenish grey gem with a pony tail and the usual gem bodysuit, her most distinguishing figure was her left eye though, slit and round like a perfectly sliced sphere. She remember such markings from her studies, an Actinolite Cat's Eye, a relatively rare commanding gem.

Actinolite gave a salute. "My Diamond, it is my honor to welcome you to Zohost. I am Actinolite Cat's Eye, facet 3Z1Y, cut 9QG, the commander here."

Pink responded in kind, the way she was taught. "Thank you, Actinolite. I wish to see your planet."

Actinolite gave a pause at this, as if coming up with an appropriate response. "Is there… anything in particular you wish to see, my Diamond?" she asked.

Pink was tempted to simply drop the facade and just ask for a simple tour of the planet's facilities. But in the back of her mind she could already hear the lectures of her sisters about the way she should be acting. So instead she came up with another idea. "Show me to your command center."

"At once my Diamond." Actinolite replied with a nod and a turn of the heel, leading Pink Diamond and her entourage back to the colony's hub. PD looked around as they walked along the landing platform, and from what she could see there was little to look at. The colony faithfully recreated Homeworld's architecture, long porcelain white arches and spires. Though from what she could see, they looked significantly older than anything she'd seen back on Homeworld.

Homeworld had its architecture renovated relatively often so that everything looked pristine and new. But PD could see flaking and cracks here and there as they walked, wear and tear from tens of thousands of years of use. Judging from the architectural style it looked like nothing had been built here since its initial colonization. Some pieces of the design she'd only seen in images taken from long before her time.

But then this was the usual procedure of the empire. Find a suitable planetoid to act as base while simultaneously becoming another foothold to expand its reach farther out into the cosmos. Then leave a small contingency there and continue pressing onwards, leaving the older colony to do little more than gather dust.

Actinolite opened the way into the planet's hub, a large spire guarded by another pair of Rubies who straightened up at the sight of their commanding officer, and even more at the sight of Pink Diamond, becoming near statues. Pink wasn't overly fond of being treated in such a way, but had long ago learned to accept it for what it was, if only to avoid confrontation with her sisters over something so trivial.

They entered the hub and Pink looked around, it quickly reminded her of a Diamond's spire but scaled down. Many gem stations were line up against the walls but most were now barren, only a few still occupied. She surmised the rest must have been allocated to other colonies after this one was complete. Her impression that things might be different was only true in the sense that they were far slower. Things on Homeworld always seemed to be moving and… well, not changing, not really, more like… happening, for lack of a better word. This place spoke of stagnation and obsolescence, something that had long ago fulfilled its purpose and now simply existed for little to no reason at all.

Actinolite approached a console and pressed a few buttons. A few moments later a hologram appeared before them, a blue sphere that represented Zohost. Pink observed the image before her, a little over 40 kindergartens, 22 spires, including the one she was standing in, a warp in each facet, the works. What would have been a fairy ambitious colony thousands of years ago when it was made would barely be considered run of the mill by today's standards. "Zohost is at your commend, my Diamond."

Pink said nothing and after a few moments of silence Actinolite spoke again, tentatively. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go? One of our other spires? A kindergarten perhaps?"

Pink Diamond thought about this. She did _not_ want to go to a kindergarten, she had been to dozens and had seen thousands more in her studies and frankly, they were nearly invariable. Plus they always seemed a bit foreboding to her, though not initially of course. When kindergartens are first made they are actually a place of pride, new gems ready to serve in an ever expanding society. But once the kindergarten was all used up? Just large empty holes in the walls as far as the eye could see.

Still… as long as she was here perhaps there was something worth seeing. She accessed the damaged reports for the colony and could see Actinolite grimace out of the corner of her eye as she did so… there was something in here she didn't want to be seen.

Pink Diamond scanned through the reports, mostly skimming through for any key words like "decommissioned" or "defunct" or… "collapsed". Yes, there is was, a spire had collapsed some four hundred years ago.

Pink Diamond accessed this file and saw Actinolite shift her weight from one foot to another nearly imperceptibly. This was the one, something had happened here. She read the file, apparently a quartz had… gone rogue? She gave a quizzical look at this statement, it was all it said, that the quartz had gone rogue and caused the collapse of the tower.

Pink turned to Actinolite who's grimace had only deepened. "What is this?" she asked.

Actinolite nearly looked away but stopped herself, remembering who was addressing her and how that would look. "We had an… incident at one of our spires, my Diamond." She spoke slowly, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

Pink considered dropping it for a moment but this was far too interesting to let lie. "What sort of incident?"

Actinolite was silent and Flint stepped forward. "She asked you a question!" she barked. Pink put a single hand on Flint's shoulders and the quartz looked to her superior before nodding, understanding and backing down.

Pink Diamond knelt down to Actinolite and asked again. "Please, tell me what happened."

She gave a wary resigned look before she spoke again. "It… is perhaps better if you see it for yourself, my Diamond." She then looked over to another grey-yellow looking gem with a half-shaved hairstyle. "Cal, watch over while I'm out alright?"

"Sure thing, Cat." She answered back. Actinolite then motioned for two of the ruby guards to follow them.

Actinolite motioned for Pink to follow her, taking her to a large warp pad. The party of eight, Pink Diamond, Peridot, Amythyst, Flint, Pearl, Actinolite and two rubys.

* * *

Then they found themselves standing before a large spire, Pink Diamond recognized it as one for power generation. If this place had melted down there would have been a crater before them, instead all they saw was a decrepit looking structure. Large chunks seemed to be missing here and there and the roof looked like it had collapsed, the top part of the building looking like it was leaning in on itself.

Peridot voiced everyone's question. "What happened here?" she asked.

"An 'incident'." Actinolite replied through almost clenched teeth as she led the way. They passed through the archway of the defunct building and saw rubble stacked into neat piles, much dust covered the floors and walls. In the center of the room and the only real structure that could be seen inside the building was a large bulb, cold and dark, the glass cracked was in some places while shattered completely in others. It had looked like something had gone on a rampage and smashed everything around it indiscriminately.

"What… did all this?" Pearl asked.

Actinolite gave another gesture to follow her and they walked around the room until they found a flight of stairs and began to descend. "It happened over four hundred years ago…" she started. "Back then I was only in charge of this spire, one of many to make sure the colony stayed functioning." She paused before beginning again. "One day a… a gem walked in for her shift, saying she felt strange… different. At first I thought nothing of it, I told her that once she got to work she'd feel better." She paused again, as if to gather the strength to continue. "At first there was nothing, but then I heard a scream and some kind of _terrible_ shriek. Some sort of creature had appeared out of nowhere, we were caught totally off-guard. It destroyed the physical forms of a dozen gems before we could even react and began to attack everything near it, including the main power battery. Eventually everyone fled."

"What happened to this… creature?" Pink Diamond asked.

The group had reached the bottom of the stairs and saw a similar scene as above except for one difference. Across the room, behind what looked like a make-shift energy barrier lay on the ground a… creature. From this distance it just looked like a large green gem, but as they neared it seemed to sense their presence, jumping up and slamming its fists against the barrier, screeching, just as Actinolite had said. It had a large bipedal form, four arms that punched into the barrier to no avail as they approached. It had long shaggy hair down to its knees which obscured its eyes and a sharp-toothed mouth.

It continued to punch against the barricade in its way until it could do so no more, stopping as it panted heavily.

"What is it?" Amethyst asked.

"Some kind of monster." Flint observed.

Actinolite approached the barrier far closer than the rest of the group, nearly touching it as she gave a sigh, turning around to face them. "This 'monster' was my best friend." She turned back to it, looking mournful. "After her initial attack a few of us led her down here and managed to trap her behind this barrier. I was the only one who made it out. It was only after trapping her I realized that this creature was the same gem who had said she felt strange… the same one who I had work anyways…" she trailed off

"What about the rest of the gems who escaped? They would have made a report on this." Peridot said.

"Oh and they did." Actinolite replied, turning to her. "We waited years for a response to this… but nothing ever came, eventually, we just moved on."

"'Moved on'? How do you move on from this?" Pink asked.

"When no one hears your cries, tears are better left unshed, my Diamond." Actinolite replied. "Perhaps Homeworld thought we weren't worth the trouble, or that we could take care of this ourselves. Maybe our request for help on this matter simply got lost in communications, I don't know. All I know is that if it weren't for me, none of this would have happened. So many gems wouldn't now be broken and maybe she wouldn't be…" she trailed off again and ink Diamond caught a glimpse of tears welling up in her eyes.

Pink put a hand on her shoulder and Actinolite turned around to look at Pink Diamond who was now giving a small comforting smile. "Actinolite this was not your fault, you couldn't have known."

The commander gave a smile at this before Peridot stepped closer, observing the creature before her. "What could have caused this transformation?" she asked.

"I don't know, I've never seen if before that day or since." Actinolite replied.

"How long can that barrier hold?" Amythst asked.

"I rigged it to feed off of one of the auxiliary power supplies." She replied, pointing to another bulb though much smaller and less damaged then its larger counterpart upstairs. "It could hold for another thousand years or more."

The green creature then slammed its fists against the barrier again, sending tremors along the wall and the floor, shaking loose some dust and small rocks from the ceiling above. "We should go, we're only riling her up." Advised Actinolite.

But as they turned to leave the beatings form the monster only got faster, more feral, as if seeing the first gems in hundreds of years had given it the strength it had not felt in so long. The tremors got worse before the creature finally slammed with all its might against the barrier. Sections of the ceiling came raining down in small chunks at first before a large section loosed itself and fell… right on top of the auxiliary generator. It exploded sending shards of metal all over the place as the group ducked for cover.

The underground lights flickered now, power just barely getting to them as the creature screeched now freed from its confines. Flint had summoned her blade, getting into a fighting stance as Amethyst did the same with her mace. They turned to the pen where the creature was being held, ready to face it, but it was nowhere to be seen.

The lights continued to flicker and the group circled up looking for the beast as it continued its horrible shrieking. Pink Diamond saw a flash as it jumped from wall to wall before dicing and tackling Flint to the ground. Flint struggled with it as its teeth gnawed at the blade. Amethyst moved to hit it but as she swung the mace, the creature caught it with one of its hands, shrieking back at her. Flint used this as an opportunity to slash at the creature only for it to jump away, sticking against the wall.

Peridot moved to shoot it and let loose a barrage, only to miss as the creature jumped again. Flint and Amethyst attempted to rush it but it daftly grabbed Flint's arm in the swing and hurled her into Amethyst, sending them both flying. The creature capitalized rushing towards Peridot who was shooting all the while, but in her panicked state the green gem could not land a hit as the beast maneuvered around. It closed the distance and quickly caught Peridot's limb enhancer as it charged for another blast. The creature crushed it with one hand, causing it to explode and sending Peridot flying as the creature was only pushed back by inches.

The two rubies nodded to each other, holding hands as a bright light enveloped them and they fused into one being. Pink saw this and might have been more amazed at the sight, it being one of her first times seeing a fusion in action, if not for the creature now barreling towards them.

The fusion summoned a shield and a spear as the creature attacked. The fists landed hard against the shield but it held as ruby moved to sweep with her spear. The creature gracefully jumped over the swing and landed behind the back of the two-ruby fusion. It grabbed Ruby's shield arm and then her spear arm and began to pull. The fusion struggled before the form dissipated and the creature held in its hands two weakened rubies. It smashed them together and their forms poofed out of existence, their gems dropping to the ground.

The creature then turned its attention up towards Pink Diamond, but Pearl stood in the way, a rapier in hand and thrust at it. But the being nimbly dodged her flurry of strikes and knocked her away. It then turned back to PD who went to try and kick it only for the creature to jump high, and land a solid hit across Pink Diamond's face, sending her tumbling to the ground. PD was stunned, that was perhaps the first time she'd even been really _hurt_. It filled her with fear and excitement all at once. But there was no time to think about that as the creature landed on her chest and was readying to continue the assault.

However it stopped short as a rope appeared around it, holding it in place. Pink Diamond looked over to see Actinolite gritting her teeth as she struggled to keep the creature restrained. It hissed and writhed, struggling to break free. Amethyst jumped back into action giving a full on body blow with her mace and sending the creature tumbling off of Pink Diamond.

The creature was soon on its feet again and broke free of its restraints but Flint came up from behind and put it into a headlock. The creature attempted to move its arms to free itself as Amethyst came to deliver another blow, but it came s second too late as the beast threw Flint over her shoulder and landed on Amethyst.

Actinolite then launched her rope dart again and wrapped the creature in its confines. It hissed at her and made a move to attack her before a great fist came smashing down on it from above, creating a crater in the ground as Pink Diamond sat up. She lifted her fist and the creature was still for a moment before it began to get up and Pink Diamond slammed it into the ground again, deepening the hole, this time there was an audible poof and the creature was gone.

Pink Diamond breathed heavily, as did the other gems. Pearl got up quickly and rushed to PD's side to ensure her Diamond's wellbeing. "My Diamond! Are you alright?!" she asked, with great worry.

"I'm fine Pearl, nothing I can't walk off." Pink assured as she stood once again to full height.

"I'm so so sorry, I shouldn't have let you come to harm!" she said, almost on the verge of tears. "I'm such an idiot! I'm so-" Pearl stopped as Pink Diamond reached down to touch her.

"Pearl, I'm alright." She affirmed.

Pearl only smiled in return as she touched Pink's hand. "I'm so glad."

Flint gave a small chuckle as she and Amethyst picked themselves off the ground and Peridot sat up, gathering herself. "Nice job, boss!" Flint called out as Amethyst gave a smile.

Peridot frowned as she looked to her ruined limb enhancer, now just a blackened piece of metal. "Look what it did to my arm!" she cried.

Actinolite walked over to the crater and picked up the green gem that lay inside. "I'm sorry… so sorry…" she whisper as a tear cam streaming from her eye. She then turned to her two fallen rubies and observed the gems, neither seemed worse for wear. _"Thank goodness."_ She thought as she picked them up and pocketed them.

The ruined spire then continued to rumble, the structure had had it, it was coming down.

Pink Diamond didn't even think, she grabbed the gems around her and held them tight to her chest, running up the stairs as they crumbled beneath her. She dived for the entrance and rolled as the spire collapsed fully behind them. Pink Diamond loosened her grip as she looked down to the gems in her embrace. "Everyone okay?" They nodded numbly, not really believing all that had happened in such a short time.

The gems dusted themselves off and warped back. They were met by a contingent of rubies led by the grey-yellow gem from before. "Cat! What happened…" she turned her gaze upward and saw the condition of all the gems.

"What happened?" she asked again. "When I saw that the aux generator went down I figured something happened but…" she stopped as Actinolite walked closer and held out the green gem. Calcite's eyes opened wide at this. "I-Is that…?"

Actinolite nodded numbly and Calcite's one of her hands flew to her mouth in a gasp as she reached out to the gem with another, stopping just short of touching it. Actinolite then reached into her other pocket and produced the two ruby gems and tossed them over to some of the ruby guards. "Make sure they're taken care of." She ordered. The two guards only nodded and ran off.

The group made their way back to the command center and Actinolite turned to look up at the _Diamond_. They all looked pretty badly scuffed and she was unsure how Pink Diamond would react to all the events. She after all had pretty much knowingly placed a Diamond in harm's way, if there was a penalty that involved shattering that probably qualified. "My Diamond…" she started slowly.

Pink Diamond raised a hand at this. "That's enough. This is no time for stupid formalities." She said. "This…" she said pointing to the green gem in Actinolite's hand. "Is a serious problem, one that has been ignored for far too long. Someone needs to answer for this and I'm going to find out who." She turned to look at her companions. "Are you with me?" she asked.

"Always, boss." Flint replied with a grin.

"Of course." Replied Amethyst.

"I'll always follow you." Peridot replied.

"Your wish is my command, my Diamond." Pearl answered.

Pink Diamond then turned her attention back to Actinolite. "I'm afraid if I'm going to ask questions, I'm going to need…"

Actinolite simply nodded as Pink held out her hand the commanding gem gave the Diamond a hard look. "You'll find out what or who's responsible?"

"You have my word."

"Thank you, my Diamond." She replied quietly, depositing the green gem in her hand. Pink Diamond gave a pat on her shoulder before taking off towards the door, her entourage in tow. _"Someone needs to answer for this. And I'm going to find out who."_ Pink Diamond thought as she and her crew boarder and the ship took off into the sky.

Actinolite and Calcite watched as it too off, some of the rubies standing by as well. "Do you think she'll be able to find answers?"

Actinolite gave a small smile as she stared off into the sky. "Looks like we gotta trust her now."

Calcite turned to look at Actinolite. "And do you?"

"After today? With my life." She replied. Her mind then drifted off as she thought far back in time to when she and her two friends all worked together, nothing making her happier.

"We'll be waiting right here for you… Emerald."

* * *

 **BOOM! Another one done, and another one done. Another one writes the dust! Review please.**


	5. Ch 5: Predictions

**Chapter 5, woot!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Predictions

Pink Diamond looked down to her palm, eyeing the green gem as she turned it over in her hand a few time. With her other hand she rubbed her cheek where the creature had struck her. It had been the first time in memory that she had felt pain. Something so small had managed to hurt her, _her_ a Diamond. She wasn't nearly as… well… conceited as her sisters were concerning her Diamond status. Still, she had been over three times this creature's size and it had laid her out flat with a punch to the face, an impressive feat.

She closed her palm on it and looked out to the starry abyss of space. This could be a bigger problem than they'd yet realized. If this was just was a single one of these creatures could do, what if there had been more of them? What if there were more of them out there, on other colonies? What had caused this to happen to a gem? She needed to find out and she knew just whom to talk to, but first...

"Peridot." Pink Diamond called from her seat and the little green gem responded, walking over to her leader. "Have this scanned and tell me what it says."

Peridot nodded and took the green gem from Pink's outstretched hand, walking over to a scanning table and punching a few buttons in. After a few moments the scan was finished and Peridot looked over the data. "My Diamond, this gem you have, it's been… corrupted."

"Corrupted?" Pink asked. "What do you mean? Are you saying it's broken?"

"No my Diamond, if it was broken the physical form of the gem wouldn't be able to take hold at all." Peridot corrected. "It looks like something has forcibly made its way into the very core of this gem and asserted its influence over it causing drastic changes to the physical attributes and personality of the gem. I've never seen anything like this."

"Neither have I." Pink admitted, and she really hadn't either. In the thousands of years' worth of reports and data she'd gone over she had never seen anything mention a phenomena such as this. But perhaps someone with more experience would know more. "Peridot, open a line to the White Diamond control room. There is something I wish to discuss with my sister." Peridot nodded, imputing the command in her terminal.

A floating screen popped down from the ceiling, it flashed grey and silver for a moment before a face was seen. "This is the White Diamond control room, under whose authority are you making this call?" Came a light nasally voice of a Pearl, Pink recognized it as White Diamond's usual pearl, those her outfit had changed somewhat since she'd last seen her.

"Under my own." Pink said commandingly. While she wasn't overly fond of flaunting her status and rank, it didn't mean she didn't know how.

The Pearl recognized the face and voice immediately. "Pink Diamond!" she said with a bit of a start. "I wasn't expecting you to-"

"I need to contact White Diamond immediately, connect me now." Pink ordered.

"As you command." The Pearl said obediently.

There was a few seconds of silence and the screen went a solid grey for a few moments before White Diamond appeared on screen. She looked like her usual self, entirely expressionless. "Pink Diamond, I wasn't expecting a call from you so soon. How was your trip to the colony?"

"White! Please, I need you to listen." White's countenance did not change, but her eyes slightly narrowed at the sudden demand for her attention. Pink held out the gem in view of the screen and White looked to it for a moment before Pink began to speak. "This gem… there's something very wrong with it."

"What do you mean?" White asked.

"This gem… it… it's not normal." Pink replied. White said nothing and only blinked, waiting for further elaboration. "It was transformed into some kind of creature and it attacked me and my crew."

White eyes widened a bit at this. "Something attacked you? Were you hurt?" she asked.

"I'm fine, White." She replied. "But this thing it's… I've never seen anything like it."

White Diamond paused at this before speaking again. "Do you have relevant information to send on this?" she asked. Pink Diamond nodded to Peridot who took the meaning of the gesture, sending the data they'd just compiled through the communications line. White Diamond looked down and away for a moment, looking over the data herself. "This says the gem has been-"

"-Corrupted! Yes." Peridot interjected. White gave her a small look of annoyance and the green gem who shied away under her gaze.

"What do you think this means?" Pink asked.

Her sister was silent for a moment, as if preparing herself for her next words. "Pink Diamond you will meet me back on Homeworld immediately." She ordered.

"What?" she asked. "What is this about?"

"Do as I say, and bring that gem with you." White ordered, before cutting out. Pink blinked in surprise before scowling, this was just like her sister to be so cryptic and unhelpful. But she sighed, still this was the only thing she had to go on, whatever it was White knew she didn't want to discuss it over a communications line.

"Set a course for Homeworld, Peridot. Looks like we're going back earlier than expected." Pink said and the green gem complied.

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Pink Diamond found herself right outside the doors to the Diamond throne room, she'd had the rest of her crew stay behind, she had a feeling White wanted this to be a private matter. White's Pearl had only led her to the lift, leaving Pink to ascend alone. She opened the door and instead of finding White in her usual position upon her seat, she was standing in the middle of the room, her hand behind her back.

"Do you have it?" she asked. Pink diamond produced the gem from her person and held it out. White Diamond reached out and picked it up, inspecting it with scrutiny. "Has it reformed since you subdued it?"

"Attempts yes, but I managed to stop it from forming each time." She answered.

White nodded once in understanding and placed the gem on the ground, stepping away from it. She then pressed a few buttons on what looked like some kind of wrist-mounted interface. A shield of light came pouring down from the ceiling, surrounding the gem and putting s barrier between Pink and her sister.

It only took a scant few moments once the gem was untouched by anyone that it began to form. A bright light shown and the form took hold, the creature from the spire was now before them, on its knees as it ascertained its new environment. It looked to Pink Diamond and recognized her immediately, hissing at her. It then turned to White Diamond and hissed at her too before attempting to close the gap between them with a jump. The creature bounced harmlessly off the wall of light and landed on its back. White seemed completely unfazed by the action as she bent down to get a better look at the creature.

"Interesting." She said, cupping her chin as it continued to punch the wall of light and the floor beneath it. However unlike the ruined spire neither the wall nor the floor so much as vibrated form the force, being significantly denser than the material form the ruined spire. She then stood to full height, walking around to Pink Diamond. "And you found this on Zohost?"

"Yes."

"How long has it been… like this?" White asked.

"About four hundred years give or take." White raised an eyebrow at this and Pink elaborated. "Apparently there was a file sent on this gem's condition centuries ago and no one from Homeworld did anything about it.

"Possible I suppose." White said. "I manage most of Homeworld's activity but I do use intermediaries form time to time. Perhaps I should see to this… discrepancy in information."

"You don't seem surprised to see something like this." White was silent and Pink started to frown. "Which means you've seen something like this before."

"Something like it, yes." White replied, looking her sister in the eye. 'This is already the eleventh case I've seen."

Pink almost did a double take at that. "Did you say _eleventh_?"

"I did." White confirmed.

"Well where are those cases? One through ten?" she asked.

"I'll show you, but first to take care of this creature." White said turning to said monster who was scratching at the walls. She pressed a few buttons on her wrist again and the walls of light began to close in on the creature. It turned to see them closing in and fought harder than ever to escape to no avail. The creature eventually was squeezed tight, and then tighter and tighter as it screeched continually in pain before finally it poofed back to a gem. White pressed one more button and the light faded she picked up the gem and with a flick of her wrist it was suddenly inside a silvery bubble.

Pink had read up on this, it was a way to contain another gem while simultaneously keeping it form forming again. It was a technique she knew the theory of, but not the practice.

White motioned for her to follow and Pink did as they walked together back out to the lift. It began to descend and Pink wondered if they needed to warp somewhere but this though passed along with the floor of White's warp pad. They reached the first floor of the spire and did not stop.

Now this was new. Pink knew that White's spire had a basement, all spire did, but she'd never seen anyone go down before, not in a thousand years. They reached as far down as the lift would go and stepped off, now standing in front of a pair of large metallic doors. There didn't appear to be any entrance but White put her palm to it and it lit up with a white light before opening up.

Inside was a long room, tables were lined up on to their left and right, in glass cases, gems lay on the forefront tables while many other nearer to the back were barren. White and Pink walked along the long hall and White stopped in front of the nearest unoccupied case and placed the emerald inside. She then turned back to her sister.

"And there you have it, another one for the collection." She said.

"'For the collection'?" She asked incredulously. "These are gems! We've got to help them!"

"Very well. How?" White asked.

Her tone had caught Pink completely off guard. "How?"

"Yes. How?" White asked. "We can't use the conventional core gem gel that's used to repair broken gems because the core gem is not broken. This… corruption, it's on an entirely different level altogether. So I ask you, how can we fix these gems?"

"We could do research, run some tests…" Pink listed off.

"Already done, decades ago." White replied. "And we are no closer to knowing the answer now then we were before we had the first gem here."

"But what if there's some kind of material that is affecting us, something we discovered that turns gems into those things?" she asked.

"If we had discovered such a material we would have known about it for a long time now. The cases of these incidents happened lightyears apart from each other and happened decades to entire centuries apart in time. No correlation that ties them together." White explained.

"Shouldn't we warn the gem masses of this though?" Pink asked.

"Warn them of what exactly?" White asked. "That one day any one of their comrades could become some sort of abomination for no discernible reason?"

"So we're just supposed to leave them ignorant then?" Pink asked.

"In order to try and avoid undue panic in our society? Yes, we decided that was for the best."

"'We'?" Pink asked with a look of confusion which turned to anger with her realization of whom she meant. "Yellow and Blue, they already knew about this as well didn't they?"

White did even bother putting up a denial at the accusation. "Yes, they do. Who do you think brought me these gems over the years?" she asked.

Pink felt like stomping with frustration. "You three knew this thing was out there and didn't even bother telling me?!" she asked, her voice raising.

White kept serene, her expression scarcely changing. "It was not your concern."

Pink Diamond was going into a full blown conniption. "Not my concern?! I thought I was one of you, a Diamond! Why would you not tell me?!"

White sighed, extending an arm out in reference to Pink. "I've already said. It was not your concern." Before Pink could interject White held up a hand and continued. "These were isolated incidents, and even then I did not involve our sisters until they discovered these creatures for themselves, just as you have. And just like how I didn't want to create concern over nothing among our people I didn't want to concern any of you."

Pink took a breath at this, attempting to calm down. "Look, okay fine. Maybe these were 'isolated incidents', but don't you think we should try and figure something out?"

"The fact is Pink there's nothing to be done." White argued. "We've done all the research we can on these gems and there's nothing to go on." White turned to look down at the case now housing the new gem. "All we can do is contain the cases we find and move on."

Pink was silent for a moment looking down at the green gem then looking to all the rest and then back to her sister. "No. I refuse to accept that." White raised an eyebrow at this. "There's got to be something that can be done for these gems, and if there is I'm going to find out what it is."

White looked at her sister with some exasperation. Pink had always held large amounts of empathy for those around her, and in a way, White found it kind of endearing. Pink tended to be a lot less the Diamond ideal, but in a way she was an ideal all her own. She was loved by her faction and while they didn't quite revere her like they should, they were fiercely loyal. She could also tell Pink would not be swayed from her course of action, not now.

White turned back to the case and picked up the gemstone she held it out for Pink to take. "Here." She said. "Go do whatever you think is right sister. I trust your judgement."

Pink was surprised at this. She hadn't expected for White to relent so easily, but rather than question it she reached out her hand and took the gem, only for White to close her hand over top of hers. Pink looked up about to say something before White let out a slow shush. Then Pink felt energy entering her hands and suddenly she was holding the green gem suspended inside a pink orb.

"What did you-" Pink was interrupted as White put a finger to her lips.

"I just brought out an ability you didn't know you had." White said with a sly, knowing, smile, it quickly faded though. "If you're serious about this then I suppose you'll be needing all the relevant information we have." Pink nodded. "Very well, I'll have it forwarded to your ship's database."

Pink turned to leave and White spoke up one last time. "You may not find what you're looking for, Pink. You may not find anything at all."

Pink turned to look at the gems around her and then back to her sister. "White, this could be more dangerous than we could even imagine, and if we can't find the answers here on Homeworld, then they must be out there somewhere." Pink said making a gesture above herself.

"Maybe you just see these normal gems as disposable or replaceable, but I don't." Pink said. "I have to at least try." White sighed again, closing her eyes then giving a single nod. Pink was about to leave through the doors when she turned around one last time. In the future sister, I hope you can learn to trust me." With that she left and White Diamond was left alone.

White looked down, almost with sorrow at the gems she'd gathered. "Have the years really made me so callous?" she wondered out loud. There was once a time when she'd felt kinship with lesser gems, when she knew them personally… intimately even. Now she was the leader of an entire race and had to make decisions that would shape the course of their entire way of life. There was no time to let personal feeling get in the way, decisions had to be made for the good of all, even if they meant a select few would have to suffer. Neither Yellow nor Blue had held very strong kinships with their gems, not ever. From the start they held themselves above the masses, even as White did so now. But Pink, she reminded her of herself when she had only just popped from the ground so long ago. A smile graced her lips as she thought of her youngest sister, in a way she was a little envious of her sister's idealism and empathy. "Good luck, Pink Diamond."

* * *

 _Months later…_

* * *

Pink Diamond was seated in her personal quarters of her ship, looking through the documents as Peridot and Pearl helped out. Flint and Amethyst had been less than enthusiastic about reading through reports. Pink had also decided that until they knew exactly what they were dealing with White had a point about spreading unneeded worry, which just left the three of them.

The ship was being piloted away from one of the reported colonies, the last one to check, while Pearl and Peridot were discussing how to correlate any sort of pattern between the cases, Pink herself was long in thought, they'd spent their time recently going from planet to planet to personally access the cases. Unfortunately there was little variation in the stories, one day a gem would show up acting unusual or complaining about some sort of pain and then transform. It also didn't help that even the most recent case happened close to a century and a half ago and the closet cases were still over twenty years apart. So the trail to follow, if there was any, wasn't exactly hot.

Peridot looked exhausted. "This isn't getting us anywhere!" she said, laying a data pad on the table she and Pearl were sharing.

Pearl looked to her with a frown. "There's got to be something that connects these all together, we just need to find it."

"Augh! I'm telling you there's nothing!" she cried. "No time correlation, no area correlation, it's all so random!" she whined. "Without a pattern there's no way to predict where it might happen next!"

The word seemed to break through Pink's line of thought. "Predict…" Pink said slowly. Her eyes then shot open. "Predict!" she announced causing Pearl and Peridot to slightly jump at their leader's sudden outburst. "That's it guys!" she said, a smile on her face. "We're going to predict what'll happen next!"

Pearl and Peridot exchanged confused glances. Pearl spoke up. "My Diamond, I don't think we understand what you're saying."

"What do you mean?" Pink asked. "All we need to do is predict what's going to happen."

"But we can't not with this data." Peridot replied.

"Exactly so we need someone who can predict things without any data." Pink walked out of the room towards the bridge and Pearl and Peridot followed close behind, still somewhat confused.

"Set a course for Igon." Pink ordered as she got onto the bridge, the gem at the helm did as she was instructed and punched in the coordinates. Pink took her seat, a look of confidence about her as Peridot and Pearl caught up with her.

Pearl had no idea where this "Igon" was but Peridot did, it was from recent star maps, a colony in the making. "My Diamond, why are we going there?"

"Because that's where Blue Diamond is." Pink informed.

Pearl and Peridot exchanged glances before Pearl spoke up, looking up to their commander. "Forgive me, my Diamond, but how can Blue Diamond help us with this?"

"She can't." Pink replied, the confused look upon their faces grew even more so before Pink spoke again, looking at them with a confident smile. "But she does have someone who can. Go and open communications with Igon."

Peridot did as she was told and within minutes a call was being sent out to the proto-colony. A screen descended and suspended itself in the air in front of Pink Diamond. Blue's Pearl appeared before her. "This is the Diamond line on Igon, who is calling?" she asked in her soft demure voice.

"This is Pink Diamond, connect me to Blue Diamond."

"As you command, please hold." She replied.

The screen went grey for a moment before Blue Diamond's hooded visage appeared on screen. "Pink Diamond, my dear sister it's been too long.!" Blue's voice cut in.

"Blue, look there's something important I need to discuss with you, in person." Pink said.

"Is that so?" Blue replied. "Very well, I know you wouldn't try and waste my time, my Pearl will give you the coordinates to my current location and you can meet me here to discuss this."

"See you soon, Pink Diamond out." With that the screen went black and floated back into the ceiling.

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

As they approached the new planet Pink noticed Igon was nearly entirely covered in a blue liquid, islands formed here and there but for the most part the planet was nearly all blue. Pink recognized this substance, it was water. As they drew closer to the coordinates a large rounded structure came into view, the only thing above the sea level for as far as the eye could see.

They landed in front of the structure and the bordering ramp dropped. Pink and her usual crew got off and looked around. The sea was the only other thing besides the landing pad and structure. Flint walked over to the edge and looked down to the water below. "So this is water huh?" she said aloud.

"That's correct." Peridot said, coming up behind her. "Dihydrogen monoxide in its liquid state."

"Guys we can gawk later, Pink's on a mission." Amethyst said, calling them over as the five of them journeyed inside.

Pink strode up to the gate, guarded, as typical, by two quartzes. They straightened up immediately in her presence and allowed her through. Just inside the gate Blue's Pearl was waiting inside. "Follow me." She said.

The inside was colorful, but a bit cramped as they made their way up a several sets of stairs in the round building. Blue's Pearl stopped in front of two Diamond-insignia imbued double doors and opened them. Inside, facing away from them was a balcony and two tall decorated chairs. The sounds of battle could be heard somewhere below them as the pearl led them forward to her master.

"Very good!" Blue called out form her seat and Pink looked down to see what her sister was watching. Inside were a couple quartz gems as well as a currently fused ruby. They were swinging their weapons at one another fiercely trying to gain advantage over one another. A few dozen gems seemed to be seated around the arena in stands above it, though still lower than where they were. Blue noticed the intrusion and greeted her sister with a smile. "Pink Diamond, so nice to see you." Blue diamond greeted, not getting from her seat.

"Blue." Pink greeted curtly.

Blue Diamond motioned to the seat next to her and Pink took the invitation to sit down. Once she had Blue turned back to her own Pearl. "Escort these lesser gems to the stands, Pearl."

"As you wish." She replied, motioning for them to follow her. Pearl looked to Pink for a moment but Pink nodded her head and Pearl did the same in understanding.

"So, what is this?" Pink asked her sister, once they were alone.

"A little something Yellow came up with long before you and I were ever around." Blue replied. "It's an arena where gems can fight."

"Why?" Pink asked.

"For their own amusement? For mine?" Blue asked back. "I can't really say for the lesser gems, but I have been thoroughly entertained by this concept, and it's a great way to kill time. There's so much exhilaration that comes from battle."

"I know, it's something I've experienced firsthand." Pink said as she held out the bubbled green gem.

Blue glanced at it and then turned her attention to her sister. "What's this?"

"A corrupted gem." Pink replied. Blue frowned at this. "So you knew as well." Pink said.

"Found out about these have we?" she asked.

"I have." Pink replied not wishing to bring up the issues again she moved on. "What I want to know now is where are they coming from, when is the next one going to appear."

Blue took her meaning. "But you already know that the data gathered conventionally is useless, so you've come for an alternate form of information." She gave a sly smile. "You want to know the future."

"Do you still have the gem who can see it?" Pink asked almost anxiously as she leaned forward.

"I do." Blue replied. "She's here in fact and I'll let you borrow her, if you do something for me."

"What?"

"You need to agree first." Blue said.

"Fine, whatever the favor is I'll do it." Pink said quickly.

Blue smile grew wider and she pressed a button on her chair, an intercom of some sorts. "Pearl, bring Sapphire here, I require her services."

"Yes, my Diamond." Came the reply.

A few minutes passed as Pink gazed down to the arena, seemingly lost in thought before the sound of the door behind them opening caught her attention. The Pearl walked in but was accompanied by a gem a little less than half her height. The gem had blue skin and pale blue, wavy hair with bangs that covered the top half of her face with prominent lips. She wore a floor-length gown with white, rounded, puffy sleeves, a navy top, and a blue frilly skirt and a blue pinafore over the top of the dress. She also wore white elbow-length evening gloves. Pink spotted her gemstone in the palm of her right hand.

"Pink Diamond, may I introduce, Sapphire. Sapphire, my sister, your superior, Pink Diamond." Blue introduced.

The little blue gem did not salute her, instead she held the sides of her dress and seamed to kneel for a moment, bowing her head. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance, my Diamond." She said politely.

"And a pleasure to make yours." Pink replied. "I am told you can see the future."

"I can, my Diamond." Sapphire confirmed.

Pink Diamond leaned down with the green bubbled gem, earning a disapproving look from Blue Diamond but who said nothing. "What do you see in this gem's future?"

Sapphire peered down at it. "I see…" she paused as if coming up with the words for what she was about to say. "…a creature, unlike anything I've ever seen." She turned to look up at Pink Diamond. "What is this?" she asked.

"It's something I want you to see for me." Pink told her. "I need you to look in future and tell me if you when you next see a creature like this appearing."

"Is there somewhere specific you wish for me to look?" she asked.

"Anywhere, anywhere in our empire." Pink replied.

Sapphire seemed apprehensive now, speaking slowly. "With respect my Diamond, I don't know if I can stretch my power that far, that _thinly_. It would be a daunting task."

"Are you refusing my sister's order?" Blue asked her.

"No, my Diamond." Sapphire replied obediently. "I am simply saying that the results may be… less than what you are hoping for."

"Please Sapphire, I need you to try." Pink said pleadingly, Blue gave her sister a disapproving look at the beseeching behavior but Pink ignored it and gave her attention to Sapphire.

"I will try my best." Sapphire promised, with that she was quiet for a few moments, seeming to stare off into the void of space. "I don't see…" she started to say before she went rigid. "I see something."

"What is it?" Pink asked, even Blue now seemed interested in the news as she sat forward a little.

"A monster… big… appearing… soon."

"Soon? How soon?"

"Very."

"Where? In this quadrant?"

Sapphire then looked to Pink Diamond, frowning and seeming shook up now.

"On this planet."

* * *

 **Done. Now as fast as I'm popping these out, you guys could meet me halfway and leave some reviews.**


	6. Ch 6: Depth

**Chapter 6, pick up sticks!**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Depth

The two Diamonds looked to the small blue gem before them, then they turned to each other, exchanging looks of surprise and confusion, then back to Sapphire.

"You're sure of this?" Blue asked.

Sapphire nodded her head. "Without question my Diamond, one of those creatures will appear soon."

"Can you tell where?" Pink asked.

"I see… a dome underwater." Sapphire said, concentrating.

Blue turned to her Pearl. "Find my sister's gems and bring them to us along with squads 5R1, 4B2 and 9X1." She ordered. Pearl nodded and walked off.

Blue got from her seat and motioned for Pink and Sapphire to follow her. The walked into an adjacent hallway and found themselves now in a small command center of sorts. Blue pressed a single button on a large holographic table and an image appeared overhead, a large blue share with several indicators on its surface and beneath. It was a map of the colony.

"This is a map of Igon, and these are all the facilities that have been completed thus far." She said indicating the dots on the map.

Pink looked to it, there looked to be a little over a dozen of them currently active. For a planet this size that was less than five percent of what would be built in the future. It would take centuries, perhaps even millennia to finish, so much work lay ahead.

"She pressed a few more buttons and soon the number of lights dwindled until only four remained. "These are our underwater facilities, the only places we'd need to dome up to keep the water out." Blue explained. She then turned to Sapphire. "You can't make a more definite guess as to where?" she asked. Sapphire shook her head slowly, almost shamefully. "Useless…" Blue muttered under her breath, though Pink and Sapphire were both close enough to hear.

Just then Blue Pearl appeared in the doorway, leading a pack of gems behind her. Blue's gems lined up in neat lines, hand behind their backs as they awaited instruction. Pink's diamonds formed a gaggle, seeming rather unorganized next to Blue's. Pink sort of made a gesture to look sharp and they straightened up, trying to look as professional as they could.

"A real fighting force you got there Pink." Blue said, giving a disapproving glance to her sister's troops. Pink frowned, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. Blue rolled her eyes and addressed her own gems. "Soldiers! There is going to be an imminent threat to our operations out here, but you will not let it happen. And why?" She barked.

"We are servants of the Diamonds, the perfect fighting force!" they barked back.

One spoke up, presumably their commander. "Name the target and it will be destroyed!" she said.

Blue smiled at this while Pink looked to her sister almost cautiously now. She had expected this sort of thing from Yellow, but Blue? It just didn't seem her style.

"There is an enemy here on Igon, you will find and eliminate them." Blue said. She indicated to one of the glowing areas. "Squad 5R1! You will investigate power facility Alpha. Squad 4B2, your assignment is the Beta power facility. 9X1 you will be at power facility Gamma. You are on the lookout for unusual gems, find and detain them as necessary."

The gems stood rigid and answered in unison. "Yes, my Diamond!"

"Then go!" Blue ordered as the gems fell quickly out the door, she then turned to her sister. "Pink have your gems investigate the kindergarten, here." She said indicating to the last glowing spot on the map. "You and I will remain here to direct them."

Pink turned to her crew. "Go back to the ships and head for that kindergarten, take as many gems from the ship as you need, I'm counting on you Flint." The grey gem gave a salute and a nod before she lead the gems out of the room and back to the ship. Blue eyed them as they ran off. _"Let's see how good your gems really are, my sister."_

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Flint and the rest were on their way to the kindergarten, riding in silence. Amethyst spoke up. "Pink Diamond seemed… really tense."

"We're going up against an enemy we barely understand in a place we've never been to." Peridot summed up. "It's only natural she'd be so on edge about this mission."

Amethyst shrugged. "I don't know, I mean it didn't seem like she was so worried about us or the mission it felt like something else was bothering her."

"And what would that be?" Flint asked with a scoff.

"It's Blue Diamond." Pearl spoke up, the three turned to her.

"What are you talking about?" Flint asked.

"Haven't you noticed it?" Pearl asked, but didn't wait for an answer as she continued to speak. "Whenever she's around the other Diamonds, she gets stiff, uncomfortable even."

"But why?" Peridot asked.

"Because she's a Diamond, who doesn't _act_ like a Diamond." Flint said voicing everyone's opinions. "She doesn't hold herself over us and look down, even though that is her right. She treats us like equals, like individuals, not just resources to be used and thrown away."

"Are you saying you didn't like it when we were under another Diamond's command?" Peridot asked.

"I'm saying that I'm a soldier, I fight, I enforce, it's what I do, it's what I was made for and I was content for hundreds of years doing that and only that." Flint replied. "Then this new Diamond shows up, shiny and new and I get put under her and I think, 'Fine, whatever, served under one commander served under them all, same job different boss'. That's what I thought anyways." She paused for a moment. "Then one day she asks for my opinion on something, I can't even remember what, and we start discussing it. She doesn't attempt to assert herself over me, she gets down on my level and wants to know what I think. And I tell her, no fighting isn't _always_ on my mind, sometime I think about space or clouds or something."

"'Clouds or something'?" Amethyst repeated back.

Flint shot her a look. "Shut up. Anyways I talk about how I think she's a little well… strange for a Diamond. Something pretty bold to say, I know and had I said it to any other Diamond, well I'd probably be shattered on the spot. But you know what she told me?"

* * *

 _Flashback…_

* * *

"Strange, huh?" PD asked, sensing Flint's unease at her own words.

"Well… Yeah. You're just so… easy to talk to. You don't tower over us and order us like a diamond should." Flint said.

"And what would be the point of that?" the Diamond asked. "You've all been very polite and kind to me ever since I met you, why would I not return the courtesy?"

"It's expected of us." Flint replied. "But you? You're a leader, a Diamond. You give out orders and we follow them. You don't have to answer to anyone."

Pink Diamond cupped her chin, staring off into the ceiling. "Yes, I see what you mean. I can feel it inside myself, the desire to lead others, to command them to do whatever I feel is best. And yet…" she turned back to the grey gem. "I also feel the need to care for those I'm leading, and not just on a 'ready for duty' level, but on a personal one. I'm not trying to lord over you because I don't really want to be your leader, or your Diamond, or whatever. I want to be your friend."

* * *

 _Present…_

* * *

Flint smiled harshly her eyes almost watering up. "She treats me like I matter, just like I know she treats all of you the same way." Flint said looking to her friends, a motley crew if ever there was one. "Maybe the other Diamonds don't think that she should lower herself like that to us, maybe they make her feel ashamed that she tries to associate with lower gems. But we're going to show Blue Diamond that Pink Diamond's gems are the best for a reason. Right?" she asked.

"Right." Amethyst affirmed.

"Of course, we are." Pearl agreed.

"Is there any doubt?" Peridot asked.

Flint nodded her head. "Then let's do this."

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Flint and Amethyst walked along the deep valley of the kindergarten quietly with a handful of rubies, looking up at the crevices above them, the walls were lined with injector pods but now the kindergarten was empty, deserted. Flint radioed in to Pearl and Peridot back on the ship. "Hey why is this place so empty?" she asked.

"Kindergartens take years to fully develop." Peridot explained, not for the first time but not that Flint would remember, seeing as how little she actually cared for the subject. "This place was built less than a year ago, so aside from the occasional checkups no one really needs to be there until the gems are ready to pop."

"Thought that was what I had you for." Flint replied back. Just then a few pebbles fell in front of Flint from above, and she gazed up in time to see something flee away from the edge. "Hold on I think I got something." She jumped up with a single leap and was on the ledge, she looked around but saw nothing.

"Hey! What was it?!" Amethyst called from below as she and the rubies stared up.

"Nothing!" she called back. "I thought I saw something up here!" she then turned around a corner as Amethyst and the rubies followed down below. "And I did…" she said quietly as she now stared deep into the darkness of the biggest exit hole she'd even seen. It dwarfed her in height as she look around it astonished. "Hey get up here!" she called down to Amethyst and the rubies.

"What is it?!" the purple gem asked from below.

"A big hole that's what!"

Amethyst bounded up and was soon standing beside Flint, she gave a long whistle at the behemoth before her. "Whoa, this is even bigger than the hole I came out of."

"Mine too." Flint observed as the rubies finally managed to climb up behind them and also began to marvel at the large hole in the wall.

"In fact…" Amethyst began slowly. "I don't think I've seen _any_ hole this big."

The exchanged glances before Flint quickly got on her communicator. "Peridot get down here now! We need you to look at something."

"What could you possibly want to show me?" she asked derisively.

 _A little while later…_

"I don't even know where to start." Peridot said as she paced in front of the entrance to the hole. "There's nothing uniform about this hole at all. The scorch marks leading out are irregular, no glassing at all, the hole doesn't go straight back but curves…" she stopped butting a hand to her chin in thought. "I don't know what came out of here."

"You're a kindergarten technician!" Flint bellowed. "How could you not know?'

"I don't know what to tell you!" she shouted back. "Whatever this is, I've never seen anything even remotely like it! It's not a quartz hole, or ruby hole or even an olivine or pearl hole!" She looked inside, her voice now having a slight echo. "It's like some kind of beast just clawed its way out."

"Maybe the bigger question to ask is not what it is, but where is it now?" Amethyst said.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Blue and Pink waited for any news about the attacks as Sapphire stood nearby. Blue tore her attention away from the holographic image of the planet and down to the little blue gem. "Anything?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, my Diamond. Only the same image of the dome and some sort of creature. It's large, with six legs… orange and monstrous." She replied.

Blue turned her gaze back to the screen, then over to her sister who seemed anxious. "are you worried?" she asked. Pink turned her attention to her sister. "About your gems?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked.

"Because they're expendable, replaceable. If they are shattered in doing their duty then all the more reason they should be proud to have done so in their service to us." Blue replied.

"Even if I believed that, it'd still be a waste of resources to have gems shattered over nothing." Pink defended.

"It's not nothing if they did it for us." Blue said.

"Perhaps they should be the ones to decide that." Pink shot back.

"You-" Blue was about to respond when a signal came back, one of the squads was reporting in and Blue turned her attention back to the console. "This is commander of squad 4B2, at power station beta all readings are clear." Another voice cut in. "Commander 5R1, power station alpha, all clear, detained a few suspected gems and waiting on further orders." Blue paused, waiting on the third squad to report.

Nothing.

Blue pressed a button. "Squad 9X1, report."

Silence.

"Squad 9X1, report now!" she demanded.

Still nothing.

"Blue…" Pink said softly, pointing back to the map of Igon. She looked to it and saw the facility had gone dark. Blue was silent as she stared, s scowl upon her hooded features, she then turned around and stormed out.

Pink was about to follow when her communicator beeped for her attention, she answered it. "Go ahead."

"Boss, we got problems." Flint's voice came from over the line. "Something busted out of the kindergarten down here."

"What was it?"

"Big."

"Is it still there?"

Flint looked down at the collapsed tunnel out of the dome. "I'm gonna say, 'No.'" she answered.

"The Gamma power facility just went dark."

"The whole complex?"

"Looks like it. Can you head over there?"

"Can do, boss."

Pink ended the call and went to look for her sister only to find her signing off of her own call, looking back to Pink. "I just ordered the remaining squads to converge on Gamma, any news on your end?"  
"My gems found an unusual exit hole in the kindergarten, it could be related."

"Especially since I only just recently had that one made." Blue agreed. "Come on, we're going too."

Pink gave her sister a surprised look. "I didn't expect you to take a personal interest in this."

"Someone or something is causing trouble on my planet." Blue said gravely. "I'm going to find out who or what and then I'm going to show them what it means to mess with a Diamond."

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Blue and Pink zoomed by on the water's surface, quickly making way as they neared their destination on a large hovering platform. The platform then stopped hovering in the air and Blue turned to look at Pink. "This is it." She said motioning below them. "The facility is below us. All we need to do is get there."

"What did you have in mind?" Pink asked.

Blue clapped her hands together once and in a flash of light, her robes were gone, now a skin-tight jumpsuit adorned her, along with a helmet that hid her eyes and let her hair run free behind her. "Like this." She said, jumping from the craft and diving gracefully into the water, her form quickly fading from view until she was gone.

Pink looked down reluctantly at the water before she sighed. Reached one foot out and allowed herself to fall, crashing into the water with a thudding splash.

The sensation of water was new to Pink Diamond. It felt heavier and she could feel her every movement being slowed by the water's viscosity. Then she began to sink and felt a twinge of fear as darkness began to envelop her, the light of the surface fading away until she was in total darkness.

She heard what sounded like laughing from far away and suddenly a light shown from next to her. She turned to see her sister's gem glowing, making a light for them to see. Pink tried to speak but her words became bubble as soon as they left her mouth, floating pointlessly to the top. Blue smiled before making some sort of swirling gesture with her hands and suddenly Pink felt the water around her being pushed away. Suddenly she was standing inside a large bubble with her sister.

"That was very elegantly done, sister." Blue teased to Pink who was shaking off some of the water still clinging to her body.

"Thanks." Pink looked around for a moment. "Is this your doing?" she asked.

"That's right." Blue said. "Liquids and I, well, we have a good relationship." She then turned to leave. "Come, we floated a little off course, we need to head this way."

Pink and Blue walked and the former looked down as she felt the ground beneath her give way with every step. "Is this… sand?"

"It is." Blue confirmed, not breaking her pace. "Millions upon millions of metric tons of sand, all coming from stones being eroded away with time."

"I wonder if that's what happens with all gems eventually. Stick around long enough and eventually you'll be broken down and blown away." Pink observed.

"Perhaps for the lesser gems." Blue commented. "But not for us, not for Diamonds."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because the eldest of us still exists."

"Yes." _"But for how long?"_

* * *

They cleared a ridge and the Gamma facility was in view and it looked wrecked. No light shown from the widowed dome and all seemed quiet. As they neared they saw that one of the dome's entrances was smashed in, like something had forced its way in from outside. As they walked towards it they got a better look, the metal didn't break in pieces, it looked like it had all been done in one fell swoop, as if some great force knocked it down with ease.

"That's not a good sign." Pink observed as they stepped passed the ruined door to access the inside. The inner door looked mostly intact, though tightly sealed. Whatever had made its way past the outer door had also been quick enough to slip by the open inner door before it had been sealed.

Blue accessed a panel and put in an override code, the doors opened and water rushed in, but with a flick of Blue's wrist the water rushed right back out and she and Pink stepped inside, the door sealing itself behind them.

If the outside had looked bad the inside had looked even worse. Water seemed to be leaking from everywhere, some in small spurts others in little streams. The rounded halls to their left appeared mostly intact. However, to the right it looked like something that had been far too large for the halls had forced its way down them, expanding them and crushing them all at once. Shards of slain gems lay here and there, most too small and too scattered to even find all their pieces.

But worst of all, it was quiet, eerily quiet. If something major had malfunctioned like this alarms should have sounded yet only silence met them.

"What did this?" Pink asked, gazing in disbelief at all around her.

"I intend to find out." She said as she started walking down the smashed hallway. "This way leads to the one of hanger bays. We need to see if any of the squads made it here yet."

Blue looked up and around at the damage that had been done to her facility as they walked, Pink meanwhile kept her eyes on the floor watching as they passed by shard after shard. "Someone's going to answer for this." Blue seethed before stopping in front of another door and accessing it.

They walked into the hanger and beheld a few ships, though not the ones they'd seen, most likely already here before the attack. Blue pointed to several on the far side. "There, those are the ships my squads came on."

As they approached them Pink felt unease as if she was being watched, she turned to look behind her, but nothing was there, she shook her head. She needed to calm down, panicking wasn't going to help anybody.

Blue approached the ship and called out to them. "Is there anyone there? Squads! Answer me!"

There was only silence.

"If you are there answer me now!" she demanded.

The far ship's boarding ramp lowered and several rubies and an Agate with long flowing hair stepped down. They were huddled in a group, seeming greatly frightened, a far cry from the former professional selves Pink had seen earlier.

"You. Report. Now." Blue demanded. The agate broke off from the rubies and did her best to seem respectful and professional to the Diamond before her. "Commander of 5-5R1, m-my Diamond." She stuttered.

"What happened here? Where is the rest of your squad and where is 4B2 and 9X1?" she asked.

"O-outside, my Diamond, in the hall." Agate responded back.

"You're telling me something wiped out two squads and the dozens of other gems here?" she asked.

Agate only nodded.

Blue walked over to her and picked up the quartz by the scruff of her jumpsuit. "What did this? Tell me!"

Pink walked over and put a hand on Blue's shoulder, the latter relaxing her grip and allowing the Agate to fall to the floor in a heap. She then walked off, turning her back to her gems. Pink watched her sister walk some distance before she leaned down and put a hand on her shoulder.

Agate looked up and Pink smiled reassuringly to her. "Please, what happened?"

Agate closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "We got here and tried to find the other squad but we went out to the halls and…" she stopped taking breath before continuing. "So we tried to find what did it and then we saw this… this… _thing_." She shook her head as if trying to rid herself of the memory of its image. "So strong, so _fast_. Before we had even known what was happening half my squad was gone. We retreated here, sealed the doors… and then you came."

"Where did this creature go?" Pink asked.

"I don't know, after we sealed it outside we thought it would bust in for sure but then… it just went away." She replied. "We didn't know why or care why, we were just glad it was gone."

"But where is it now?"

A roar echoed form the hallways and the rubies and Agate flinched.

"Coming back." She said with dread.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Pearl and Peridot continued to look at the hole in the ground before them. "What made this?"

"I don't know and I don't wanna find out either." Peridot replied.

"Was it really wise for us to stay behind while Amethyst and Flint go off to fight whatever this is?" Pearl asked.

"They'll be fine, they're quartzes. What we should do is try and find out how this creature came about, let's go back to the wall hole."

"Is there anything else you can tall from it?" Pearl asked.

"Not much honestly." Peridot admitted. "I've been trained to look for flaws and signs with exit holes like this but it's like I've said I never seen anything burst out like this." She looked around its entrance, it's like some sort of amalgamation of gem just shot out of the wall, not a pearl or quartz or olivine, just some kind of freak.

Peridot went into the hole again, using her gem to make a light as she looked around when she suddenly noticed something on the floor. She touched it, it was a white viscous liquid she had seen something like this, but where? She took out a small petri dish to hold the liquid in, maybe she could have it analyzed to see what it was when they had the proper equipment. "Hey Pearl, I found something in here!" she called out.

There was no answer.

Pearl looked out towards the light and saw nothing. "Hey Pearl! I said I found something!" she called out once more.

Only silence.

"Pearl?" Peridot asked quietly as she stepped out from the cave and looked to see Pearl was being squeezed around the neck by some cloaked figure about her size. "PEARL!" she called out before readying her plasma rifle. The figure tossed Pearl away and she bounced off the far side of the kindergarten wall, falling to the ground.

Peridot shot a few times before she dived after Pearl and the cloaked figure watched her before turning away from the cliff's edge.

Peridot caught Pearl and landed on her feet before laying Pearl down carefully.

Peridot heard an explosion from above and quickly got back up to see the damage that had been done. The hole in the wall had been collapsed completely and the figure responsible was making its way up to the top of the wall.

Peridot went after it as quick as she could, trying to fire at the same time. But with all the shaking and moving a good shot was hard to make.

The figure shot back and dodged Peridot's clumsy shots before it reached the top and bounded over. Peridot hurried after it and watched as it began a full-on sprint for the exit, it was already halfway there by the time Peridot reached the top.

Instead of chasing after it, the green gem knelt down on one knee, taking her time and she lined up her sights on her plasma rifle. She took a deep breath, counted to three and then…

 _ **BLAM**_

The shot whizzed through the air and hit the figure square in the back, it stumbled over and fell on its face as Peridot gave a look of satisfaction.

She approached the downed figure cautiously. She didn't know what tricks it might be planning as she kept her rifle trained on it. When she was only a few feet away something sounded though the air, what was it? It was like the sound of… sparks?

She saw her blast leave a smoldering blast in the figure' back and then used one foot to turn it over. Peridot almost dropped her gun in surprise as she laid eyes on the cloaked figure.

"What in space is this?"

* * *

 **BOOM. Six done, please review. Also, try to leave more than a few words okay? Maybe a question or something or a full statement of how you feel about the work and the way it's going so far. Thanks.**


	7. Ch 7: Blue

**Chapter 7, lucky!**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Blue

 _A small time before the Diamonds' arrival at power station Gamma…_

* * *

Flint and Amethyst made their way to the Gamma power facility. Leaving behind Peridot and Pearl, the former wishing to study the exit hole more thoroughly and the latter not wishing to leave her all alone.

The facility finally came into view and it had definitely seen some better days, the power was off and even from the outside some serious internal damage could be seen.

One of the rubies tried hailing the facility. "Does anyone read me?" she asked.

Static answered her back.

"Still no response even from this distance huh?" Flint asked as the ruby shook her head slowly.

With their Diamond, Pearl and Peridot gone it was now just Amethyst, herself, and a handful of rubies. While Pink Diamond technically commanded an entire armada of her own, they almost never personally traveled with her. They were instead delegated to the far front lines and outer territories to help with expansion and conquering, something Yellow Diamond was entirely committed to.

With that being the case that just left a few specialized gems and a handful of rubies. This was just as well since Pink Diamond's personal ship was quite small compared to the ones her sisters possessed. So while PD was away Flint, normally the pilot, was captain, Amethyst was second in command and Peridot was science officer, technician and engineer all rolled into one. Pearl took over piloting when Flint took command and was actually better at it then she was, not that Flint would ever admit that.

They approached the dome, managing to get the outer doors of one of the docking bays to open and slipping inside. Flint looked on the monitor, no signs of movement.

She turned to Amethyst. "I'll go check things out, keep an eye on things here alright?"

"Got it." She held out her hand. "Be careful out there."

Flint grasped her hand, smiling. "Hey, what could go wrong?"

The grey-skinned quartz descended from the ship with her rubies and looked around. Everything seemed still, and quiet. There were ships inside with theirs but they were cold and dormant, everything just seemed so… silent, eerily so.

Amethyst voice came from a communicator. "You see anything out there?"

"Nothing, everything's quiet." Flint replied.

"You don't sound happy about it."

"I'm not, nothing should be this quiet. I got a bad feeling about this."

Amethyst waited a moment before answering back. "Looks like that feeling may be right, I got readings coming from beyond the bulkhead door."

"Can you tell what they are?"

"Nah, Peridot's the expert on this thing, all I can tell you is that whatever it is it's moving towards you."

"Got it, Flint out." She turned to her rubies. "Alright, on me." She ordered quietly and motioning to the door.

They ran over three on each side of the door as Flint drew her weapon. She nodded to one of the rubies who nodded back and accessed the door's console, unlocking it with a hiss as Flint prepared herself for battle, but nothing came.

The open archway revealed only a dark hallway. Flint stepped carefully out into it as the rubies followed behind her. She looked up and down the long arching corridor but saw nothing but flickering lights and leaking water.

Flint accessed her communicator. "Hey Amethyst what gives? I don't see anything out here."

"I don't kn- Flint, the sh- monitor said you had -acts just outside the door, - -w they're -." Came back the static reply.

The grey gem shook her communicator. "Say again? Didn't catch all that."

"I said-" The static grew and grew until it hissed loudly at her forcing Flint to take it from her ear. Just then the bulkhead slammed closed and with an audible and loud thunk the bulkhead sealed itself. The grey quartz turned around quickly attempting to access the console but it was dead, the buttons she pressed refused to respond and the screen for input went dark.

"Commander Flint, what happened?" asked one of the rubies.

"Looks like something sealed the door and then cut the power." Flint observed, before looking down at her communicator. "And something's also blocking our communicators."

"What do we do?" asked another.

"Should we fuse and break it down?" a third chimed in.

"Even if all six of you combined it would still take some time to break down a door like this, meanwhile whatever caused this would still be on the lose." She turned to them. "Alright we're going to find the command center of this place and try to figure out what the heck's going on. You with me?"

"Yes ma'am!" they answered in unison.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Peridot looked down in astonishment at what she was seeing, this thing was some sort of bipedal-robonoid. It had a small frame with a shiny bald head and metallic limbs and torso. Its design reminded her of olivine-type gems, small, compact but dutiful, efficient machines. She bent down carefully to observe it, the sparks from her shot radiated outwards and fizzled. If what she was seeing was correct the place she had shot in in the back had been some sort of power source, without it it had shut down immediately. She considered trying to access the machine's data, maybe some clue on its origins or its purpose here could be gleaned from it, but decided against it. She knew nothing about this thing and any further tampering could destroy it and any clues it might hold.

She picked it up slung it over her shoulder with a huff, boy did she wish Flint or Amethyst was back here to carry this thing for her. She walked back to the edge of the cliff and eased her way down the sloped sides until she reached the bottom of the valley where she found Pearl, now sitting up and rubbing her head.

Peridot laid the machine down and rushed to her side. "Pearl! Are you alright?"

The pink-ish gem waved it off. "I'm fine, just got caught off guard." She stood up, dusting herself off. "Did you get her?"

"Not 'her', 'it'." Peridot corrected, Pearl gave a curious look at that comment and Peridot waved her over as they walked over to the robonoid.

"What is it?" Pearl asked.

"Some sort of machine servant I suspect." Peridot replied. "Although what it's doing here I have no idea."

"Perhaps there is some sort of way to find out what it knows." Pearl suggested.

"I thought so as well, but the power source of this thing is destroyed and without any power we can't access its systems."

Pearl thought for a moment. "Perhaps we can find some way to turn it on back at the kindergarten's command structure."

"Perhaps." Peridot agreed.

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Peridot and Pearl arrived in the command center, the latter carrying the machine on her back piggy back style as the former access the center's systems. Peal huffed and dropped the machine on its butt behind herself. "I don't see why I had to carry that thing." She grumbled.

"Quit griping, I did it just fine." Peridot answered back without turning around.

Pearl looked around the center, it was empty aside from the two of them. "Where is everyone?"

"Out where they're needed I suspect." Peridot answered back. "Once the injectors have done their job there's really nothing left to do in a kindergarten but wait until the first gems pop, which these instruments can faithfully predict with data sent out." The monitor in front of Peridot went dark and she bent down and removed a panel, accessing the wires within and snapped a few apart, touching them together as they sparked. She turned to Pearl. "Bring it over here."

Pearl sighed loudly before grabbing the things' arm and dragging it across the floor, making a loud scraping noise and leaving behind scratches on the floor. She pulled it in front of Peridot and dropped the arm with a clang.

Peridot looked at her, a deadpanned look on her face. "Really?"

Pearl shrugged. "Dunno. Should you really have ruined one of their monitors like that?"

"The damage is minor it can be fixed later, by someone else." The green gem replied. She then access the machine's power source again, much of the battery was gone now but she could see where power had been siphoned off for the rest of the robonoid's body. With a few adjustments… "There!"

"The machine was quiet at first but then sprung to life, raising it arms and knocking the two of them over. It attempted to stand up, but as it did, pulled on the wires and yanked them out, the machine powering off and falling on its face.

Peridot turned to Pearl. "Okay let's try this again."

The machine was powered on again but as it tried to move it could do nothing but wriggle it's limbs which were now sparking stubs where Peridot and Pearl had removed the limbs. "Not going anywhere now." Peridot gloated before popping open the cranium and accessed its hard drive. Peridot connected it to her personal wrist-mounted computer and began to give commands.

The machine fizzled and shuddered before it complied to Peridot commands. The hard drive popped out and Peridot grabbed it. "We'll need to use our ship's systems to properly access the data here but…" Peridot's victorious smirk changed to a look of surprise to then wide eyed shock. "Oh no…"

Pearl looked to her. "What is-" but she was interrupted as Peridot grabbed her hand and yanked her away from the machine as it began to glow brightly before exploding, engulfing the command center with light.

* * *

 _Elsewhere…_

* * *

Amethyst continued to watch the monitor alone but without any way to contact anyone else, she was starting to get worried. "Calm down, Amethyst, Flint's the toughest gem you know, if anyone can handle herself it's her right? Right." She said to herself. She shook her head, this sitting around and waiting stuff was making her restless.

She got out from the ship and walked over to the bulkhead door. She tried to access the systems but nothing came, the power was completely cut off. She then touched the door, the thing was sealed tight, she wasn't going anywhere. She then heard something that made her stop in her tracks, what was it?

 _ **whirl…**_

She turned around just in time to see one of the dormant ships had sprung to life and was now aiming its port guns at her. "Oh no…"

They fired and Amethyst dodged out of the way, rolling over to a pillar and using it for cover. The lasers from the ship kept pounding on the pillar as she hid behind it. "What do I do? What do I do?" she asked. She peered out from behind the pillar just enough to look at the ship's window seeing someone at the turret controls and using them on her. "Got to get in there." The purple gem took a deep breath and jumped out, nimbly and scarcely dodging the beams as she jumped from cover to cover, closing the distance between herself and the ship.

Amethyst jumped up and smashed her way through the ship's window, landing on one knee as she summoned her mace. The hooded figure turned to her, and crouched down, ready to pounce. Amethyst jumped as the figure did too and they collided in the air. They rolled on the floor before Amethyst managed to pin it down. "Who are you?" she asked as she tore off the hood, only to reveal an eyeless yellow stripped head with large teeth that growled at her.

Without any hesitation Amethyst brought down her mace upon it and it burst. But instead of the smoke dissipating it floated off and through the crack in the window, leaving behind nothing but the cloak. "What the heck was that, a corrupted gem?" She shook her head there would be time to worry about that later, she still needed a way out of here. She eyed the gun controls of the ship, the eyed the door. "Hmm…"

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

Flint and her rubies carefully made their way down the corridor, the dripping of water and the sound of their feet on the metal the only thing to be heard. Still even as Flint looked around and saw nothing, she could feel it. They were being watched. She wanted to do something, _anything_ , about it but without an enemy right in front of her to smash there was little she could do other than keep moving forward.

The lights flickered on and off in a pattern almost, it didn't seem sporadic the way most of them seemed to be going on and off, more like someone had set them to do so, or at least appear so. Flint was looking forward and so didn't notice but one of the rubies in the back had stopped behind the others, seemingly transfixed with something in the water. "Is that a gem shard?" she asked before reaching down to grab it. Before she could she saw the water's reflection show a shadowy figure.

Flint stopped, sensing something was wrong and looked down to her rubies. She looked at them and they stopped. "Wait a minute…" she said narrowing her eyes. "Weren't there six of you?"

The rubies looked at her then each other. They then looked back behind them as they beheld a silhouetted figure it stood stock still, but Flint heard another presence make itself known and turned around seeing another figure exactly like the first, standing opposite. "Rubies, we're surrounded, form up and get ready. The lights flickered and each time they did the figures got closer form both sides, four of the rubies fused together into two separate soldiers, each facing one of the figures while the last ruby stayed close to Flint's leg. Then as they rubies were about to charge the figures the lights went out all at once.

At first, Flint heard nothing but dripping water, then…

 _ **CLANG**_

 _ **SWISH**_

"NO!"

 _ **POOF**_

The lights flickered back to life and now Flint was all alone. The figures simply stood less than ten feet away from her, standing still as before, now side by side. "What did you do to my rubies!" she asked.

They said nothing in reply, but removed their hoods two eyeless striped red and orange, some sort of mist quickly floated by and stopped next to them, it hovered for a moment before taking shape, another bipedal creature, this one yellow and stripped, they growled at her, drool dripping from their mouths.

Flint readied herself, her sword in front of her as she eyed them down. "You want a piece of me? Bring it on."

Before they could even move though a ship came crashing through from the side wall, slamming into the figures and stopping as it hit the opposite wall. The grey gem blinked in disbelief as Amethyst jumped out from the wreckage, dusting herself off. "Well, now I know why I never pilot…"

The purple quartz then looked to her grey companion with a start. "Whoa, didn't think I'd run into you so fast." Flint's mouth was agape as she simply stared at Amethyst. "So, you find the enemy yet?"

Flint got ahold of herself. "You, uh, you just took it out with the ship."

Amethyst looked back to the wreckage. "Really? I was just going trying to get out of the hanger but… hey whatever works huh? I mean I was trying to blast open the doors but…"

Their conversation came to an abrupt end when from the wreckage of the craft, the three creatures formed again. "Guess they want some more." Amethyst commented as she got out her mace again.

The creatures then lined up with one another and held out their hands. They opened their mouths, revealing glowing gems and a bright light engulfed them. When the light ended the creature before them appeared, taking up the hallways' full space, a large worm-like monster that roared at them loudly, sending vibrations through the water and metal.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Pink and Blue listened to the roaring in the distance as Agate continued to shiver and a couple of the rubies made whimpering noises.

"We need to find this thing and stop it!" Pink said.

"I agree." Blue replied. She looked back to the huddling gems before shaking her head. "Useless…" she said under her breath. She then access the door controls and opened the hatch wide and ran out, making her way towards the source of the sound.

Pink watched after her sister go then back to the huddling group. She then closed her eyes and sighed before going after her sister.

Pink could hear the noises of roaring and as she got nearer she also began to hear the sounds of battle as well. She saw a large open door and could distinctly hear the sounds coming from within. As she rounded the corner she beheld the massive room of the main power generator and saw her sister standing a distance away as two quartzes, one grey and the other purple battled some sort of giant worm creature.

Pink recognized them immediately. "Flint! Amethyst!" she called out.

They both turned at the sound and sight of their leader but this unfortunately gave the monster an opening and it swept them with its tail, knocking them to the wall with a thud.

Pink ran up , attempting to close the distance between her and her friends but was caught at the arm by Blue, she turned to her sister. "Let go!" she ordered.

"Sister you need to wait!" Blue hissed back.

"Wait!? WAIT?!" Pink asked as she snatched her arm away. "My gems are about to be crushed into dust and you want me to _wait_?!"

"Pink we can't rush in there without knowing what we're dealing with." Blue said calmly, even as the battle raged on less than fifty yards from them.

"I can't afford to wait here while my friends are fighting for their lives!" Pink said as she rushed in. She jumped up and slammed it into its side, knocking it away from her subordinates. She watched the creature begin to pick itself up and quickly bent down to check up on the two of them. "Are you two alright?"

"B-boss…" Flint said weakly, she looked bad, but able to go on, Amethyst gave a thumbs up but didn't look much better.

"Sister! Watch out!" Blue called as the creature rushed Pink. PD tried to punch it but the monster suddenly turned to mist and quickly formed around her, beginning to crush her and roaring in her face. It then screeched in pain as three large shards of ice were now protruding from its side, it turned to mist again and floated away.

Pink fell to her knees and looked up to her sister, water now floating up and into her fingers forming large thin shards of ice. "I told you to wait, sister." Blue said almost boredly as she began to approach the creature's mist form.

It took solid shape and looked in their direction before letting out a shrill cry, suddenly more of the same mist came out and began to form into the creature as it grew larger and larger, taking up more than half the room now as it now dwarfed them.

"Oh-" Pink began.

"-no" Blue finished.

Flint and Amethyst looked to the gigantic beast and then to each other. "Well Am, it's been fun."

"Same here Flint." The purple gem replied. "If there's anyone I had to go out with, I'm glad it's you."

The monster then burst open the dome and water poured in as a bright light began to surround Flint and Amethyst. A large chunk of debris separating them from the Diamonds.

Pink was washed into a wall and saw as the creature began to regain its balance, even under the water its roar rippled through.

Then the water began to swirl around the facility, slow at first but it quickly gained speed. Pink held on to the wall as she saw the creature begin to spin faster and faster. She looked over to see Blue standing tall in the water, her gem glowing brightly as she made swirling hand motions. The water began to recede until a whirlpool of water surrounded the entire facility, creating dry land on the bottom of the ocean.

Pink managed to get up and walked over to her sister, her arms now relaxed at her sides but gem still glowing. "You did this?"

"My sister, you haven't even begun to see what I can do with water yet." Blue said slyly, the familiar roar sounded again and Blue gave a look of annoyance. "This thing just doesn't know what to give up…"

The monster appeared again, bursting through the whirlpool wall and looking ready for more battle.

Pink then noticed the absence of her two gems. She looked around franticly, but saw no trace of them. "Flint! Amethyst! Where are you!"

Another roar sounded however and Pink snapped her head back to the creature as Blue continued to fight it alone. She was summoning spears of ice and throwing them into the creature as she nimbly dodged and ducked around its mighty and large blows,

Pink then watched with amazement as Blue summoned a pillar of water beneath her feet and continued the fight even as the creature batter at her and continued its roaring. "That's it!" she screamed before backing off and making hand gestures as large hands of water began to reach out from the water wall and grab the monster, restraining it. The monster began to turn into mist again but Blue was prepared for it this time.

She jumped over to the tail end of the creature and breathed upon it, some of the mist froze and broke into nothingness as Blue landed on another pillar of water. The mist circled before rising far into the air, the creature formed again, in midair. Its great form fell and shadowed Blue.

"Watch out!" Pink called out.

"I don't think so." With a flick of her finger upwards, spears of water shot up and impaled the beast, it writhed as it struggled on the water-spears. But, before it could turn to mist again Blue snapped her fingers and the water instantly turned to ice, freezing the monster along with it, its face frozen in rage and agony. Blue snapped her fingers again and the spears turned back into water, the creature however stayed frozen and smashed into piece as it hit the ground.

The remaining ice from the impact blew away and left only a single gem. Blue picked it up and shifted the stone in her hand as if playing with it as she walked back to her sister, whose mouth hung agape.

Pink spoke in excitement. "Sister! That was amazing! I had no idea you could do that!"

Blue smiled at her with a glint of pride. "Of course, I am a Diamond after all." Blue held up the gem for her sister to see, an orange stone that looked rather small in her large hands. "All this, from a single gem."

"But how could a single gem become so big?" Pink asked.

"I have no idea." Blue said looking to the gem. "Perhaps it had some form of replication? Or maybe assimilation? In any case, it's over now." Blue said as she crushed the gem in her hand.

Pink looked to her sister in shock. "Why did you do that?!" she asked.

"It cost me personally and was a significant danger to gem-kind. Destroying it was the only way to be sure it couldn't happen again." Blue replied.

"We could have learned from it!" Pink argued.

"Nothing more than we could have learned from the other corrupted gems." Blue countered.

Pink wanted to argue further but decided against it, Flint and Amethyst appeared, walking away from a pile of nearby debris. She turned to them and spoke. "Are you two alright?"

Flint and Amethyst looked to each other…

* * *

 _A few minutes earlier…_

* * *

A dull-purple gem found itself underwater, her body pinned to the floor by debris. She easily lifted it off with her… _four arms_?! She got up and turned to look at herself before feeling the water around her quickly receding and being pushed away. She looked down at herself and her arms… "Wha… what?" she said before another light shown and Amethyst landed on their butts, looking at each other in stunned silence.

* * *

They then both looked back to Pink. "No worse for wear, b- my diamond." Flint replied catching herself as Blue Diamond neared.

"I'm fine, my Diamond." Amethyst replied respectfully.

Blue Diamond stepped forward and the two of them tensed up. "That was most impressive." She said to them, surprising both Pink and her gems. "A pity you weren't able to subdue the creatures yourselves, still you did all you could."

"Your words do us great honor, Blue Diamond." Amethyst said giving the salute as Flint followed suite.

Blue diamond waved for them to follow her. "Come, perhaps we can find more in the surveillance footage of the facility." She said walking towards one of the doors. Pink and her two gems followed and blue waved them inside before going in herself and allowing the water down to flood the room.

They managed to make their way to the sub-level of the facility where the command canter was and access the logs, only to find… nothing…

Blue looked through files and found nothing at all, the system had been wiped clean. The Diamond gritted her teeth and began to pace in front of the screen before she stopped, sighed and looked to her sister. "Someone is tampering with my facility, my staff and my equipment…"

Pink had seen this before and pushed her subordinates behind her. Blue looked like she was going to go into a conniption, her face clenching and her firsts tightening. "SOMEONE IS GONNA PAY FOR THIS!" she screamed.

Pink and her crew were silent before they heard the beeping of a communications line trying to be opened. Pink answered it. "Yes?" Blue watched her sister talk as she continued to writhe in anger. Pink's eyes then shot open and Blue's ae relaxed a bit as Pink looked to her. "Sister, I think we got something."

* * *

 _Meanwhile… Far Away…_

* * *

A figure sat in a chair as she stared up on the large monitors in front of her. Robonoid 045 had been destroyed, but 036 had managed to implement the device and make it off the facility before anyone had noticed it.

The figure frowned, she had hoped that at least one of _them_ would have… no matter, no matter, there was still plenty of time. She had waited hundreds of years to get her revenge she could wait just a little bit more.

"You may have beaten my creation this time, but I'll get you… I'll get _all_ of you. Just wait… if it takes a thousand years, ten thousand or more… I'll do it. My hatred will _never_ die, mark my words ALL DIAMONDS WILL BE BROKEN!" The figure finished as they slammed a fist on the monitor table.

* * *

 **Do do do do do Done! (think Mario theme)**


	8. Ch 8: Authority

**Chapter 8, crazy 8!**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Authority

Flint piloted silently on the bridge while they made their way to the kindergarten. Pink had gotten word from Peridot about something big and she and Blue Diamond had gone to her personal quarters to discuss. With the loss of the rubies and the absence of Peridot and Pearl the ship felt hollow. They had picked up Agate and her rubies but Blue had ordered them to wait in the cargo hold area until they arrived back on the colony's command center.

Amethyst was nearby, fiddling with something on the monitor. They hadn't really talked about their joining since it happened and the tension hung in the air.

Not that there was anything strictly against it mind you, it had been a quartz fusing with another quartz. However, that was a problem in itself. See, rubies fused together because they needed to, without the ability to summon a substantial weapon, like a quartz could, they relied on fusion to become bigger more formidable warriors. Using the tactics of fusion, of low class _rubies_ of all things was something that was beneath them, a cheap gimmick that real gem warriors had no need of. But in a moment of weakness, of hopelessness and acceptance of fate… they had.

Amethyst finally gave a big sigh and stepped away from the console, the monitor in front of her going dark, and walked over to her grey-hued friend. Flint heard her approach, giving a little look over her shoulder before focusing back on the controls. The purple quartz rubbed the back of her head looking down to the floor and to her left, avoiding eye contact for a few moments before speaking up. "So… we… uh… we almost there?" she asked.

Flint knew that wasn't what she came over to talk about but played along anyways, not particularly eager to discuss the real issue either. "Yeah… we … should be there pretty soon."

"Good… good… that's great." Amethyst said slowly.

Silence

It was Flint's turn to sigh as she pressed the auto-pilot button and turned around to face Amethyst fully. "Alright, let's talk." She looked down at the floor for moment before looking up at Amethyst. "What happened back there, what we did… I mean I thought you and I were going to shatter but then we didn't shatter we… we…" she trailed off.

"…fused." Amethyst finished.

"Right…"

Silence again.

"Did… you like it?" Amethyst asked, tentatively.

Flint almost jerked at that question, looking to Amethyst in a shocked and confused way. But, the instant that question had entered her mind it brought her mind right back to that moment. She had felt… strange to say the least. It was like she was losing herself but not in a bad way, more like she was transforming into something greater and had to leave her old self behind.

But like it? Had she _liked_ it?

The sensation had been different and strange… alien even… but… yes. It had been pleasurable, amazing if she had was being completely honest. To be that tall and that strong and powerful, even for only a brief time, had been incredible.

But it still wasn't done, not for them. She was sure neither of the Diamonds had seen them. Still, if any other quartzes found out about it… she had better stop this before it went any further.

"Look maybe it's better if we just… pretend it never happened." Flint said finally.

Amethyst looked taken aback by this. "What?"

Flint stepped up and away from the controls now only a foot away from Amethyst. "Look at us Amethyst. We're _quartzes_ for crying out loud!" she said. "The elite fighting force of the Diamonds, not some little ruby punks who need fusion as a crutch!"

Amethyst's look of shock twisted to one of anger. "Is that all you have to say about it?!" she shouted. "That just because we're quartzes we shouldn't fuse if we feel like it?"

"Yes! Exactly!" Flint shouted back. "Fusing is for lesser gems! Not for us!"

Amethyst crossed her arms. "What are you so worried about? That others will find out? So what?! What is the big deal?!"

"You know what the big deal is." Flint replied with a scowl.

Amethyst shook her head. "Forget it. Just forget I said anything." With that she walked out of the room, leaving Flint alone. The grey-hued gem sighed looking down to the floor before taking auto-pilot off and turning her attention back to the controls.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Blue paced about, now back in her usual robes, as Pink sat in a chair watching as her sister circled herself like a hungry predator. "Unacceptable." Blue said for about the billionth time since they'd got aboard. Well not that word specifically, but usually it or one of its synonyms such as intolerable, deplorable, impossible, etc.

"Blue, you need to calm down." Pink said, a look of worry on her face.

"Calm down?!" Blue asked. "Something or someone has just come up and totally destroyed one of my colony's facilities! Then they wiped the surveillance footage to cover their tracks! Someone is challenging my authority here and I will not have it!" she said stomping hard on the floor, leaving a dent with the heel and causing some ice to form.

"Granted. But shouting isn't going to solve anything." Pink said. It was funny, when she was with one of her sisters usually she was the one throwing a fit, now here she was telling Blue to settle.

She wondered briefly if this was what it was like to be White Diamond.

Blue finally took a breath in a huff, crossing her arms and gripping them tightly.

"Look my Peridot found something useful. With some luck we'll be able to find _something_ out." Pink said optimistically.

Blue just looked away, a scowl upon her features.

"And you know you shouldn't blame that Agate or those rubies either." Pink added.

Blue turned the scowl to her. "That is _not_ your concern, sister, it's mine."

"It's not their fault." Pink argued.

"It _is_ their fault." Blue countered. "They're soldiers Pink, it's what they do. If they can't do their job and fight what good are they?"

"And just what good would it have done for them to go out and get shattered?" Pink asked. "That thing took out an entire facility by itself, and most of the other gems you sent and you would still have had them try and fight it."

"Like I said, it's their job Pink, it's what they were made for," Blue replied.

Now it was Pink's turn to fold her arms. "They deserve better than to be punished for failing an impossible task."

Blue narrowed her eyes. "Sister, you are stepping _way_ out of line. These are my soldiers. My gems. I will do with them as I see fit."

There was a silence between the two before Pink finally sighed and looked away. She stared up towards the ceiling, as if suddenly finding great interest in the little orb that hung there and gave the room its light. The intercom came over just then. "We are approaching the kindergarten docking bay, my Diamonds."

* * *

Within a few minutes Pink, Blue, Amethyst and Flint all got off the ship and made their way towards the great divide of the kindergarten. There they saw Pearl and Peridot sitting outside… next to the flaming command center of the kindergarten.

Blue Diamond looked up to the flaming structure then back down to them, her eyes narrowing, her teeth clenching. Pink looked to her sister with a look of dread, stars, not another tantrum. Blue let out a quick release of breath through her nose and asked. "What. Happened?"

Pearl spoke up. "My Diamond I-"

Blue Diamond turned her gaze to her. "I wasn't asking you serving girl. I'm asking the kindergartener."

Pearl seemed to shrink away as Peridot spoke, slowly and carefully. "You see, my Diamond." She said starting slowly. "We found this… machine and it was doing something to the kindergarten and then we got ahold of it and then… well… it exploded."

Blue looked back to the flaming structure and with a large inhale blew out a long breath that quelled the flames instantly, leaving only billowing smoke. She turned to Pink Diamond. "I do hope your gems have something more substantial to offer than a weak little story. Otherwise, I might have to punish them for ruining my kindergarten."

"I wouldn't say ruined, my Diamond. It's still mostly-" Peridot began but was silenced instantly by Blue's icy gaze which while not seen still ripped through Peridot's body like a cold wind.

Pink then spoke up. "So what did you find?" she asked.

The green gem produced a small metal casing from her person. "I got the hard drive from the machine that attacked us, it could have some useful information on it. And this was deep inside the exit holke we found." She said holding up the petri dish with the liquid inside.

"Tell me, how did it come to pass that yet another one of my facilities had to be destroyed?" Blue asked.

"When we disabled the machine and accessed its hard drive, there was a failsafe. It self-destructed." Peridot explained.

"If the machine exploded after the hard drive was removed I imagine you were in close proximity to this machine. How were you not caught in the resulting explosion?" Blue questioned.

"I… I honestly don't know, my Diamond." The green gem said truthfully. "One minute we were about to get caught in the explosion and the next we were out here." She said waving an arm to her surroundings. Pearl seemed to further look away and to the ground at the explanation of their escape and Blue was about to question her when Pink Diamond stepped up.

"The important thing is that you're safe." Pink diamond cut in, earning a glare form her sister. "And that you have important information about this incident of course."

Blue simply rolled her eyes at this and picked up the hard drive with one hand and the petri dish with another, holding them between her fingers. She then turned to her sister. "We should tell the others what has happened here." She held up the little device. "And have these looked at."

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Blue Diamond entered the command center for the colony along with Pink and her crew. She had ordered Agate and the rubies away, to be summoned again at a later time. She looked down to a Chrysolite. "You." She ordered and the gem snapped to attention. "Take these and have them analyzed I want the data off this as soon as possible." She said handing the petri dish and the hard drive over as the chrysolite ran off with them.

Pink whispered to her sister. "Perhaps my Peridot should go with her, she could help."

"I hardly think that's necessary, but do as you wish." Blue replied.

Pink gave Peridot a nod and the green gem nodded back in understanding, running after the chrysolite.

"Let's go, it's time to call our sisters." Blue said as she and Pink stepped onto a platform and it began to rise until they found themselves in a high secluded room. Blue pressed the console in front of them and waited. Within moments Two voices asked the same question almost simultaneously. "This is the Yellow/White Diamond control room, on whose authority are you making this call?" Came the voices of the respective pearls.

"My own, you half-wits!" Blue snapped.

The pearls both seemed to jump at this, taken aback somewhat. The white pearl immediately answered back. "Connecting you now." She replied. The yellow pearl was a little apprehensive though. "Forgive me, my Diamonds. Yellow Diamond has requested to not be disturbed."

Blue turned her attention to her while White's screen went momentarily blank. "Listen to me, you insignificant little gem. You will connect me and you will connect me _now_." Blue ordered putting emphasis on the last word. The yellow pearl paled and did as she was told, looking incredibly weary as she did so.

As Yellow's screen went blank now Pink and Blue saw as their sister White appeared on screen. "Blue Diamond, and…" she turned her attention to their youngest sister. "…why am I not surprised?"

"Hey, White." Pink said as she waved a hand, White Raised a brow but her frown remained.

"So, what trouble have you gotten yourself into now?" White asked.

"What makes you say that?" Pink asked back.

"Let's call it a track record with you."

Pink rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "C'mon now that seems-"

"Oh my stars! We'll be at this all day!" Blue shouted from Pink's side, pushing her out of the way and taking the center of White's screen. "Look White, that corruption you said wasn't spreading, well it spread, it's here!" Blue shouted.

White held up a hand. "Calm yourself sister. Just-" Yellow's screen brightened just then and Yellow Diamond herself appeared, looking agitated, though if this was more than usual it was hard to tell.

"Blue Diamond. I hope this is important I was in the middle of-" Yellow stopped as she noticed PD behind her. "Pink? What are you doing there?"

White voice called in. "Yellow is that you?"

Yellow gave a further surprise look. "White? Yes, it's me."

White looked away from her screen for a moment. "Hang on." She seemed to be pressing a few buttons on screen when a light appeared to her side as did one to Yellow's side. "There now we can all see each other."

"Anyways!" Blue said attempting to get the conversation back on track. "Like I was saying we were under an attack."

"Attack? By whom?" Yellow asked.

"Corrupted gems." Pink cut in.

Yellow turned to her side, presumably where White's monitor was. "Told her about those, did you?"

"More like I had to find out on my own." Pink corrected, crossing her arms and frowning. "No thanks to any of you."

"At any rate there's more. This time we have proof that this wasn't an isolated incident." Blue continued.

"Oh?" Yellow Diamond said.

"There was an attack on one of this colony's power facilities. Something wiped the data there and destroyed it along with all the gems I had there." Blue explained.

"That something also sabotaged the kindergarten here." Pink continued. "My gems were able to subdue the saboteur and gain access to some important data."

"Who was this saboteur?" White asked.

"They claim it was some sort of machine." Blue replied. "They recovered a hard drive that we hope will contain some clues to what is going on."

"They also found some sort of strange liquid there." Pink added.

"So if you haven't any solid leads, then why have you contacted us?" Yellow asked.

"Because we're about to get a lead Yellow!" Blue exclaimed. "We're going to need forces to attack once we've determined where this corruption is coming from and who's causing it."

"It is a good plan, Yellow." White said, injecting her opinion. "if we can finally find out the cause of this corruption we can end it once and for all."

Yellow seemed to frown and shift her standing position but said nothing. Pink was about to speak up when Blue's communicator rung. "What is it?" she asked into the little device.

"My Diamonds, you are going to want to see this." Came the shrill reply of the chrysolite.

"Understood." Blue said into the mouth piece. "We'll send you the data as soon as we can. Blue Diamond, out." With that the two screens went blank.

"Come, let's see what secrets we've gained." Blue said leading her sister.

* * *

Blue and Pink entered a large monitor room where Pink's Peridot and Blue's Chrysolite were working.

Chrysolite turned and saluted at the presence of her Diamond, Peridot did the same with Pink. "My Diamonds you are going to really love this." The former said, a large grin on her face.

"I had better." Blue replied.

The yellow-green gem turned around and pressed a few buttons on the console behind her and the monitor flickered to life, streams of data showing on screen. "The hard drive that was recovered had been heavily encrypted but our systems have almost got it solved." She crossed her arms in a satisfied and smug way. "Any moment now all the data will be ours."

* * *

 _A great many lightyears away…_

* * *

A figure watched many monitored with interest when suddenly an alert prompt displayed. "045? I thought that unit self-destructed… how did they get… well, no matter. Let's see how you deal with this." She began to type wildly and swiftly command after command into her console.

* * *

Chrysolite watched with glee as the data began to reveal itself, but then it stopped. The moniter froze and blinked for a second. The grin dissipated in a hurry as worry took hold. "Oh, no." she accessed the console in front of her and the monitor responded albeit slowly. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no." Peridot, on her end of the console, also began typing and grit her teeth as she observed the data on the board.

The Diamonds noticed their sudden and panicked movement. "What is happening?" Blue asked.

"Something's wrong, my Diamond. The data, there must have been something in it." Chrysolite explained as she continued typing away.

"What do you mean? What's happening?" Blue asked.

"This server is being remotely hacked by an outside signal!" Peridot continued as she herself tried her best to remedy the situation. "If this continues they'll have complete access to our systems here, we'll be at their mercy!"

"Shut it down!" Blue ordered.

"But, my Diamond, if we shut it down now all the data on the hard drive will be lost!" Chrysolite explained.

The screen began to change just then, data began to pour in. "We're doing it! We're gaining back control. Tracing the signal source now…"

* * *

The figure continued to type away and frowned, showing her teeth as she clenched them tightly. "They're going to be able to trace us right back here." She then accessed different commands. "Not if I can help it."

* * *

Chrysolite sighed with relief. "All systems are nominal. The data is being sent now."

"No, something's not right." Peridot said accessing more commands on the console. "It's not sending the signal to the mainframe anymore it's trying to…" She widened her eyes and looked sharply to the hard drive where it was imbedded in the computer. "We need to get that thing out now!"

"No!" Chrysolite argued. "We're so close to isolating the signal source!" The monitor now flashed to a sector of the galaxy and was slowly isolating the signal source on screen.

"If we keep this thing in it could take out this entire room!" Peridot argued back, now reaching for it only to be stopped by Blue's large outstretched hand.

The little green gem almost went limp at the touch of Blue Diamond's might grip on her relatively tiny arm.

"Only a few more seconds…" Chrysolite said as the signal became closer and closer and the hard drive began to glow with a red-orange hue. Blue eyed the screen hungrily. "Almost… almost…"

"Oh! Enough of this!" Pink said stepping up and knocking her sister aside. She yanked the hard drive out of the console and bubbled it before kicking it hard into the air above them. The pink ball slammed into the ceiling and broke through, continuing to rise until it exploded in the air above them.

Chrysolite looked to the screen unhappily, the trace had been incomplete. "An exact place cannot be determined from this data my Diamond, but it was isolated to a small sector of space."

Blue Diamond got from the floor stepping right up to her sister. "What do you think you are doing?!" she demanded.

"You mean besides saving what we already have as well as our own lives?!" Pink argued back.

"We could have put an end to this!" Blue shouted.

"Open your eyes Blue!" Pink shouted back. "If I hadn't acted just now this whole room would have been dust!"

Blue continued to glare at her sister but then turned back to Chrysolite. "Well?! Is that all?!"

Chrysolite shrunk back at this. "W-we were able to get some other useful data from the robonoid's hard drive. Several of its last orders, specifically relating to corruption."

"Those last orders also have to do with what I've found." Peridot said as she took out the white liquid. She stuck a finger on it and held it up, it began to drip. "This liquid… it's primordial gel."

Blue was practically stunned into silence as Pink looked to her. She had heard the term somewhere but couldn't remember where. 'That's impossible. The only place to get that is…"

"On Homeworld, yes my Diamond, I know." Peridot said gravely.

"What's the big deal?" Pink asked.

Blue looked to her with shock. "Sister, do you know so little? Primordial gel is what all gems come from! It's what allowed the first gems to be grown hundreds of thousands of years ago!"

Now it hit her, like a wave of knowledge the information came rushing back to her. The Primordial gel was what allowed gems to gain their physical form from normal stone. But in time, after much expanding, they had nearly run the Homeworld's supply dry so a synthesized gel was made. While it had a lower yield for what would be considered "perfect" gems, its supply was nearly inexhaustible. Now, Primordial gel was kept locked away, only to be used when the synthesized gel that was being made got too low in its primordial gel content.

"How can that be here?" Pink asked.

"I have no idea my Diamond, but that's not even the worst part." Peridot continued. "Someone has altered the structure of the primordial gel as well, it too has been corrupted."

"Explain." Blue ordered.

"Normally, my Diamond, unaltered primordial gel can create a perfect gem within a year, while the synthesized version takes several." She said, looking away from them and back to her finger, still dripping with the white ooze. "But this stuff can pop a gem in weeks, days and I suspect, within hours." She looked back to them. "But without the great time a gem needs to properly form they come out wrong, angry, and corrupted."

"Heresy. Who would dare to try and do this?" Blue asked aloud.

"We need to act fast, Blue. I'll get to Homeworld and ask White about this." Pink said.

"Very well, I'll send the data we collected to White and Yellow and investigate with Yellow this sector of space we managed to track this signal to." Blue replied.

"I'll meet with you as soon as I can." Pink said. "I wish you luck sister."

"And you, sister." Blue said as Pink left the room with Peridot.

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Pink once again found herself in front of the Diamond's throne room doors and Pushed them open as Pearl followed behind. Instead of finding White at her throne she was standing in the middle, awaiting her youngest sister, her pearl by her side.

"Do you have it?" White asked. Pink held out the petri dish and showed the liquid, White narrowed her eyes. "I didn't want to believe this." She stood in the center and motioned for Pink and her pearl to join her.

The platform in the middle began to descend, slowly at first but picked up speed. Pink didn't even know that the platform in the middle moved like this. They reached the bottom and found a cave-like tunnel stretching out in front of them. White lead the way as they reached a large dome-like, rocky, room. Before them lying in a large crater-like pit was a bubbling ooze of white, the primordial gel. A single small pipe lead into the crater, and out through the roof of the cave. "This is the chamber where we keep the primordial gel." White explained. "A single tube is there to siphon it off when needed, but the only way it can be accessed is from my console."

Pink looked to the ooze in the pit and then to the dish she held in her hands. "Yes I can see it now, this is… duller and has something in it that that shouldn't have."

White moved closer to the crater and seemed to be eyeing the rim when her eyes widened. "No…" she said slowly. "No, this cannot be."

Pink stepped up and looked to White. "What is it?"

White got ever closer to the edge of the crater and looked down, narrowing her eyes. "Someone has taken the gel." White seemed to shake, her teeth gritting. "Someone has taken the gel…" she repeated slowly.

Pink could feel the animosity begin to ooze off of White and took an involuntary step backwards. "White?"

White looked past her sister and gazed squarely at pearl. "The only other one who could have known about this… was you." The pearl paled as White walked over to her, gazing down with intensity.

Pink quickly stepped between White and the pearl. "Sister, you can't seriously think your pearl could turn on you."

White turned her gaze to her sister. "There is no other explanation. She is the only one who could have known about this." She began to step to the side of Pink.

Pink stepped in her way again. "You don't think this bears more investigation? At least let her say something in her defense?"

White sighed. "Very well. I-" Her face dropped and Pink gave a look of confusion at the action. She turned around and watched as the pearl entered the lift and was out of sight. White looked to her sister again. "Seems she has decided to plead guilty."

The pearl ran fast, sprinting out of the spire and quickly entering a small ship. She accessed the pilot's controls and flew off into the sky. She quickly got to the communicator and entered a complicated series of commands into it. Within seconds a dark figure appeared on screen.

"Pearl?" She asked. "What are you doing? You know that-"

"Spinel! Listen! The Diamonds have found me out! There's no time to-"

An alert sounded through the ship and Pearl looked towards the warning signal. The ship's radar showed as an energy surge quickly closing in and Pearl's eyes widened as the beam over took her. The ship exploded into pieces and rained down from the sky.

White Diamond lowered her hand, still watching the cloud of smoke and debris in the sky as Pink and her own pearl looked on. "I believe it's time I took this matter into my own hands."

* * *

Spinel watched as the monitor in front of her went to static. She pressed a button and it went dark. She breathed deeply, calming her stirring emotions and entered a few more commands into the console. Three monitors lit up with faces. "Onyx, Zircon, Diopside, Pearl is gone."

"…I see." Said Onyx, a dark gem with short razor-cut hair.

Diopside, the green-hued gem with long, curled hair gritted her teeth with anger. "No! No… not another one… why?"

Zircon, a dark red gem with neck-length hair said nothing.

"There's more, the Diamonds are getting close to finding us." Spinel continued.

"Let them!" Diopside shouted. "The sooner I can get at them the sooner they can pay."

"That's enough Diopside." Onyx said in a calm, smooth voice. "Spinel, how close are they?"

"They'll be in our quadrant soon."

"Then let's be sure to give them a warm welcome." Onyx replied.

"Down with all of them!" Diopside said. "Down with the Diamonds!"

* * *

 **Done! So… sorry about the Dr. Claw ending in the last chapter also tweaked the fight, hope this one fairs a little better for you.**


	9. Ch 9: Nature

**Chapter 9 was mine, but now it's yours!**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Nature

Pink Diamond could hear it in the background, the hum of the engines, but that was nearly all she had heard, everything else around her was silent, dead silent, and she dare not break it.

She squirmed in her chair on the bridge of White Diamond's white-silvery cruiser as her eldest sister sat only a few feet away, as still as a statue. White had said nothing outside of curt, snappish orders to the gems around her.

She had been around White for centuries now, and this was like nothing she'd even seen. The White Diamond she knew was thoughtful, kind and wise, if also a bit stodgy and lecturing but this… something had caused her eldest sister deep rooted pain. And instead of opening herself up to let others help she instead had chosen to shut down and focus only on the task at hand.

It saddened Pink that on some level it meant that White still didn't trust her enough to share with her.

Speaking of the task at hand, the data that Blue had managed to get isolated the signal not to a far-off section of space or even near the outer fringes of their empire. Instead it had been traced a fair way in, nearly a midpoint between the empire's current edge and where Homeworld resided.

Hiding in plain sight.

White and Pink were on their way to meet their sisters who had, in the meantime, gathered much of their forces from the frontiers and had focused them on finding and eliminating this threat. It was perhaps the closest in several dozen thousand years they had encountered something they could call a "threat" and everything seemed to move with both urgency and a deliberate slowness.

The fleet was finally within view and it was massive, hundreds… no, thousands of ships all floating centered around one more massive then all the rest, Yellow Diamond's yellow-hued flagship.

"Hail them." White ordered, her voice even and free of emotion. A gem carried out said order and within moments a green-grey gem appeared on a screen in front of the two Diamonds.

"White Diamond, Pink Diamond, we were told to expect-" She started.

"Enough. Extend the docking tube and allow my sister and I to board." White said in the same monotone.

"Right away my Diamonds!" The gem quickly said and the communications went dark as White's ship floated close, the docking tube establishing itself.

Within minutes White and Pink found themselves on their way to the bridge of the ship, passing by rows of quartz soldiers and rubies who saluted and knelt down. White had long, fast strides and Pink actually found herself almost jogging just to keep up. She kept giving her sister worried glances but White paid no heed as she eyed the door of the bridge.

It opened with a rush of air as Blue and Yellow Diamond stood with their backs to them, looking upon a hologram of the star system they currently resided in. Their mouths moved, but were too far away to make out what they were saying. The doors opening caught the attentions of the two Diamonds and they turned to greet their sisters.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Yellow Diamond said almost smugly as she crossed her arms and gave a little half smile. "How long has it been since you went off world White? Ten thousand years? Twenty?"

"Over forty actually." White corrected, coolly locking eyes with her sibling.

"Has it really been so long?" Yellow asked as she began walking towards her sister.

"It has." White confirmed also moving towards Yellow Diamond.

"I hope breaking from such a long tenure hasn't been too inconvenient. After all, the first time off-world in so long must be-"

"I am _fine_ , Yellow." White affirmed calmly. Pink looked on from the side from one sister to the other. Near as she could tell White and Yellow had always had a bit of friction between them. White was, after all, the leader of their entire race, but Yellow had always been ambitious and cunning, it was her idea after all to design and create craft that could conqueror the stars themselves. There were even rumors that it was Yellow that held the real power of the empire, its military force, while White remained in power as little more than a figure head. Pink had heard this talk from her own gems but often dismissed it as the simple gossiping of simple gems. Still, even standing near them she could feel the atmosphere itself seem to spark with a sort of rivalry.

"I also heard about your pearl." Yellow continued. The youngest Diamond's eyes widened at this and she looked worriedly to White Diamond whose eyes had only narrowed with the mention of the gem.

"She was by my side for millennia. I never suspected a thing." White replied honestly.

"A pity. Perhaps sitting on that throne for so long had caused your senses to waste away." Yellow said nonchalantly. Pink didn't like this. She could feel Yellow Diamond trying to bait her sister.

But White had been through this dance before and evaded skillfully. "On the contrary, my eyes have never been more open. The pearl paid for the crime as will any who try and circumvent my power." She said looking directly into the eyes of Yellow.

Pink looked over to Blue for some sort of support but saw her only wearing some sort of bemused grin. Deciding this had gone on far enough Pink calmly stepped in between them and put hear hands on both their shoulders. "Hey now, let's just all remember why we're here."

Yellow smiled just then turning to Pink. "Of course, of course. We're all on the same side after all." She said turning and walking back to the table projecting the hologram.

Once all the Diamonds were gathered around the table Blue Diamond began the briefing. "As you may have guessed the data Pink and I discovered has led us back here." She pressed a button and the hologram zoomed out to four star systems. "But were unable to lock down on a single planet before the signal was lost to us."

"So what's the plan?" Pink asked.

"We have four systems to investigate, it would be simplest to each take one and-" Yellow started.

"No." White said, her three sisters turned to her. "We have no idea the strength of their forces. It will be best if we attack them with our combined forces one at a time."

Yellow shook her head. "That will take too long, if the enemy, whoever they are, gets wind of us in this quadrant before we find them they could be gone before we can find them."

"If we go in with less than full strength the casualties we suffer could be significantly more than needed." White pointed out.

"Better to risk that then the enemy getting away." Yellow countered.

Pink watched as her eldest sisters locked eyes again and sighed. "Maybe a compromise is in order?" she suggested, they both turned to her, White's calm gaze and Yellow's narrowed glare. "Perhaps instead of splitting our forces into four, which would significantly lower our battle power or going one at a time which would take too long perhaps we should just split into two."

Pink could swear she saw both her sisters' eyes soften for a moment before Blue spoke up. "I agree, moving as one is too slow and as four has too much risk, this is the best solution."

White was silent but Yellow spoke up. "That seems for the best." White simply nodded her accent.

Blue clapped her hands together. "Then it's settled." She put her hand to her chin. "But how shall we separate?"

"I'll take Pink and we will explore this system." Yellow said pointing to a spiral on the hologram, the one they were currently in.

White simply nodded. "Very well." She turned to Blue. "You and I will explore this one." She said pointing to the star system right next to it. She then tuned to Pink. "I'll have your gems sent over momentarily." With that she turned to leave and Blue followed behind her.

Pink watched her sisters leave before turning back to Yellow who was intently looking at the hologram. "What are you thinking?" Pink asked.

Yellow pressed a button and the hologram zoomed in on the system they were in. She looked from one planetary sphere to another. "I thinking about how this could have happened." She said without turning to look at her sister. "These insurgents were hiding right under our noses in the midst of our Empire."

"How _did_ they do it?" Pink asked.

Yellow crossed her arms. "This quadrant of space was thoroughly explored tens of thousands of years ago, we even started construction of some planets. However…" she pressed another button and the star of the system was zoomed in on. "…the unusual composition of the materials that made up these systems rendered them more trouble than they were worth. This star for instance radiates energy that destroys all electrical systems within the system every half decade." She pressed another button and it zoomed out again. "All the other star systems have similar stories."

"Are we in danger of being caught in this blast?" Pink asked.

"No, my gems have informed me that the last one was four years ago, we're still an entire year out." Yellow informed. She pressed a few more buttons and the hologram changed to a single planet on screen. "We'll have to start immediately. This planet made significant progress on starting a colony before the first blast hit."

"What else do we know about it?" she asked.

"Not much, there were a handful of structures made and not much else. The planet is also heavily forested and there are significant amounts of… ugh… _organic_ life." Yellow continued as she spat out the last word with disgust.

"So what's the plan?"

"Initial scans suggests that the structures are their most likely base of operations. However, the tree line around them has grown thick, we'll have to use an area that is less forested and make our way in from there." Yellow explained before she clicked another button and the hologram dispersed. "All should be ready within ten minutes."

* * *

 _Meanwhile… planet-side… deep within an abandoned facility_

* * *

A warning came on screen, Onyx looked to it and frowned before turning the monitor off.

 _ **GRR…**_

Onyx looked over to where the low rumble was coming from and smiled to it. "Calm down... calm down…" she said slowly. "Just wait a little while longer, they're almost here." she cooed.

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Just as Yellow had promised their combined fleets now circled the planet, a lush green ball of vegetation. Pink was looking out form the large window at the front of the ship, down on the planet below, taking it all in. Yellow came up from behind and joined her, looking down on it as well.

"Just look at it, Pink." She said. "A failure on our part and they're rubbing it in our faces, hiding out here."

"It was clever of them, I think." Pink said, earning a raised eyebrow from her sister.

"Are you complimenting them?" she asked.

"I'm just acknowledging their use of an abandoned gem facility to make their base. It was crafty." Pink acknowledged. "It wouldn't be smart to underestimate our enemy, you know."

Yellow scoffed. "We have the numbers, the firepower, the technology, what do they have?"

"A drive." Pink replied. "Whatever has caused these gems to turn on us must have been terrible."

"We've found several locations that will be ideal for landing." Yellow said, changing the subject.

"Can we go planet-side?" Pink asked.

"Of course."

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Pink Diamond found herself cooped up in a palanquin next to her sister's as they watched dozens of gems beginning to set up a make-shift headquarters. The rain poured in the field they had landed in and the thick forests beyond loomed forebodingly.

"Is the portable base going to need much longer to set up?!" Pink asked over the rain.

"It should be up within the day, just like I said the last time you asked." Yellow replied.

Pink was quiet for a moment before she looked to her sister. "Can I ask you something?"

"You already have, but go ahead." Yellow said.

"Why were things between you and White so…" Pink trailed off.

Yellow sighed, before looking to their two pearls, who were standing diligently in the rain awaiting orders. "Why don't you two go find something more useful to do?" she asked.

The pearls looked to yellow and then each other, Yellow's pearl took the cue and walked off and Pink's pearl looked to her for only a moment before running off to join her.

Yellow seemed to frown and look off into the distance before speaking again. "It wasn't always that way Pink. There was a time when White Diamond and I were inseparable, you should have seen us back in our heyday. But White was always overly cautious, she didn't like taking chances, taking risks. She still doesn't." She turned to look directly at her sister. "Did you know that if it wasn't for me we wouldn't have even left Homeworld?"

Pink had heard something to the effect of that but chose to let her sister continue. "She was afraid, always so fearful that'd something would go wrong or we'd get ourselves into more trouble than we could handle." She turned away from her sister looking out onto the fields. "But look how far we've come because we took that chance, because of _me_." She said emphasizing the last word. Yellow sighed. "But in the end, she holds us back from what we could really achieve and calls into question every action I take to try to do to move our Empire forward."

"Being careful is bad?" Pink asked.

"Being careful is one thing sister, but White had her way we'd still be on Homeworld and you and Blue may have never been created." Yellow replied. Pink frowned at this and Yellow continued. "She means well Pink, but she's too afraid to take risks. I mean she kept you on Homeworld long after you were ready to leave, didn't she?"

Pink said nothing, merely sighing and standing up inside the palanquin before crouching a bit and walking out into the rain. "I think I'm going to go walk around for a bit."

"Out there? Sister there's-" Yellow began but Pink was already making her way towards the forest.

* * *

Pink enter the tree line and walked on, attempting to sort her thoughts. "I ask about her and White and she has to drag me into that?" she shook her head. All the years she'd known White she'd thought she only done what she did because it was necessary, but Yellow made her question White's actions. What if White had held their Empire back, held _her_ back? She shook her head even faster this time. No, White wasn't like that, she didn't drag her feet all the time… did she?

Pink sighed once more. This thought process was making her head hurt and her heart sink. It sucked to think about the possible ulterior motives of those you hold dear. Although, now she understood why Yellow was on the fringes so often and White remained on Homeworld.

She then looked around herself, she had been walking for a little while now but not really paying attention to what was going on around her. She looked to the trees, they were massive and stretched far above her head their tops making a dark and leaky emerald roof above her head. Many branches spouted about, just within her arm's reach, twisting and turning into each other, entwining like great wooden knots. She touched one of the trees and felt a shiver go up her back, the feeling felt natural and familiar. Almost as if-

PD heard a rustling above and saw a small hairy creature jumping and sliding on the branches above her. She recognized this, it was organic life. Not anything at all like she or her fellow gems. She had read about organic life, and what little there was that gems had to say about it. She was interested in the subject but could never find many specifics about it, gem common knowledge was simply that organic life was inferior and that there was little use to be found in it to exploit and too was usually worth more trouble than it was worth to eliminate it.

Pink, however, found it fascinating, she wanted to get closer but saw no means of getting to the little creature so she called out to it. "Hey!" she called out cupping her hands to her mouth. The creature looked down and Pink saw its dull brown eyes look down from its perch at her. The creature made some sort of soft screeching noise and ran off, out of sight. "So much for that." Pink said disappointedly lowering her arms.

"You won't get it like that, my Diamond." A voice from behind Pink stated.

Pink jumped a little at the sudden new voice and turned around only to see a small green gem with short razor-cut hair looking up at her. "Who-"

"Idocrase, my Diamond." She answered.

"Where-"

"The landing site of course." She answered again.

"Why-"

"It was Yellow Diamond's request that I accompany you."

Pink paused for a moment as the gem waited patiently for her response. "So how are you qualified?"

"I was the one who studied the planet before our landing, my Diamond." She answered. "I know all the relevant information about this planet and its inhabitants. Also, I enjoy teaching."

"So what can you tell me about that creature I saw?" she asked.

"A small organic lifeform, warm-blooded, suited for climbing, common in this planet's ecosystem." She explained.

"I want to see it up close, can you make that happen?" Pink asked.

Idocrase seemed to rub her chin for a moment, thinking before walking over to a bush and rustling around in it with one hand. She pulled out what looked like a small handful of red spheres. She placed them on the ground in a pile and walked off towards Pink. "Please follow me."

Pink complied and they walked behind one of the great trees, peering out to where Idocrase had left the spheres. After a few moments of waiting the rustling of bushes sounded and the creature, or at least one like it, crawled out form the bush and made its way to the pile. It began… Pink wasn't sure how to describe what she was seeing. The creature was taking the spheres and inserting it into its mouth. It did this over and over again and Pink somehow found herself fascinated by the action.

"What is it doing?" she asked.

"Eating." The little gem replied simply.

"I see." Pink nodded. "What is that?"

"Organic life needs to sustain its biological processes through the intake of matter in its environment." Idocrase explained as they continued to watch. Pink was silent and the much smaller gem could tell she needed more elaboration. "The same way our ships need fuel to work or power facilities on planets are needed to work our technology."

"Ah." Pink said simply. She stepped out and tried to approach the small creature but the moment it caught sigh of her it fled back into the bushes. Pink frowned, turning back to Idocrase. "Why did it run away?"

"Most likely thought you to be some sort of predator." Idocrase concluded.

"'Predator'?" She repeated, testing out the word, it was unfamiliar to her. In the distance a high screech was heard and then silence as the rain continued to fall.

"Yes, my Diamond. A predator." Pink's look was quizzical and the little gem continued. "It's an organic creature, usually of some significant size, that intakes lesser organic creatures for its own organic processes."

Pink thought back to the little hairy creature, of it putting matter into its mouth for fuel. "You mean some other creature is going to _eat_ that little creature?"

"Most likely." Idocrase confirmed.

"That's totally barbaric!" Pink exclaimed.

Idocrase shrugged. "Not untrue, my Diamond. Still, it is necessary."

"Why is that?"

"It prevents overpopulation of any one species in an environment." The little gem replied. The confused look once again appeared on Pink's face. "The way organics multiply varies from creature type to creature type. The non-moving ones like these for instance…" she said patting one of the trees. "use these things called seeds which they make themselves and contain all the information to start another of itself by inserting the seed deep into the ground until it bursts out."

"Like us?" Pink asked.

"No." The little gem answered. "These types then tend to stay where they are popped out from indefinitely. Never moving."

"Sounds boring."

"Well these types don't usually have much thinking processes, my Diamond. I'm not sure they'd understand the concept." Idocrase replied.

"What about the moving organics?"

"That also varies depending on the creature but the basic idea is that two of the same creature types come together and make a third, or more." Idocrase explained.

"They don't even need to come out of the ground?!" Pink asked astonished. "How fascinating."

"So, going back to overpopulation, that's why organics eat each other, to keep each other in balance. If any one of these were to replicate itself out of control, the entire ecosystem would be threatened and could even collapse." Idocrase finished.

"A necessary evil then." Pink concluded.

"If you think the natural order of things evil, then yes, my Diamond."

"How do they decide what order to eat each other in?" Pink asked.

"Most organics learn from each other or simply have instinctual knowledge of where they belong in the grand scheme of things." Idocrase said. "Sort of gem-like in that regard I suppose."

Pink was silent, contemplating that comparison. "Would that make Diamonds predators then?"

Idocrase shrugged. "I didn't say it was a perfect analogy, my Diamond."

Pink bent down and picked up one of the spheres, rolling it between her fingers. "Do you think I could…?"

"I don't see why not." Idocrase replied.

Pink opened her mouth and placed the berry inside. The feeling of it was strange to her, the little sphere was just sort of sitting there inside her mouth, though her tongue could more keenly feel the texture of the sphere. She didn't know if she was doing it right so she looked down to Idocrase for further instruction.

"You have to chew." she said. Pink didn't understand so the green gem made a sort of up and down motion with her jaw. "Like this."

Pink mimicked the motion and the sphere burst in her mouth. A strange feeling washed over her as she picked up strange new sensations. "Oh, stars! What is this?" she asked.

"It's taste, my Diamond." Idocrase answered. "It also happens to be another way organics figure out their place in the ecosystem."

"Taste huh?" Pink said as she moved around the crushed sphere in her mouth. "I like it." Then, without really thinking about it, she moved it to the back of her throat and it was gone. "Wait, where did it go?" she asked aloud. "It was just in my mouth a second ago."

Idocrase sort of giggled to herself before answering the perplexed Diamond. "You've swallowed it, my Diamond."

Pink Diamond started to look worried. "Oh no! What's going to happen?"

"Nothing." The small gem answered simply. "You've only done what any other organic would have done. Now it's gone."

"But where?" Pink asked looking down at her belly. "In here?"

"Perhaps, I don't really know. I've never tried it myself." Idocrase said putting a hand to her chin. "It's a good question."

The thunder from the cloud clapped overhead and somehow the rain managed to come down even harder. Pink put a hand to her head and looked up. "It's really starting to come down. I think it's time we-" she started before looking down and around.

Idocrase was gone.

She looked about her surroundings. "Idocrase?" she said. She cupped her mouth. "Hey! Idocrase! Where did you go?!" she called out. Only the sound of rain pouring down from above answered her. "Must have gone back to the ship." Pink guessed before walking off towards the camp.

Nearby, looking down on her from a tree, the green gem watched her go. She smiled to herself before a light enveloped the gem. The shape grew taller and leaner the face's shape became pointed instead of round as it had been. The light faded again and a dark grey gem stood in her place, she then turned and ran off deeper into the jungle.

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Onyx stood in the hallway adjacent to the main floor of the abandoned complex, opening the door with a press on the hand pad.

She sat in the command console's chair and thought back to the brief meeting with the Diamond. It has been only her second encounter with one but still it had been drastically different than the other one she'd met. Pink Diamond seemed almost kind and gentle. She didn't seem to lord herself over her, not like-

 **CLANG**

 **Rustle… rustle…**

Chains clattered behind Onyx and broke her train of thought. She walked over to where it had come from, a dimly lit part of the room.

The creature chained up sensed her approach and grew stiller, less restless. She reached out and touched its skin, it shuddered in response but then calmed down and became still allowing the action. "It's okay, it's alright…" she cooed softly. "I met a Diamond today." She could feel it tense up in response to the word. "She seemed… different than what I was expecting." The creature did nothing in response. "Still what she and her kind have done is beyond forgiveness." She turned her eyes upwards to look at the creature in its face. "They'll be here very soon. We'll need to be ready."

* * *

 **Done. So two things guys, one, do I need to ask you every time to please review or are you just not going to feel obligated otherwise? Two, I can write about White's and Blue's adventure at the same time if you wish or do you simply want me to summarize it when they all make contact with each other again?**


	10. Ch 10: Enemy

**Chapter 10… something something about a hen.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 10: Enemy

White and Blue looked over the planet of the system they were now in. It was nearly all a dull brown-red. A barren planet with hardly any life at all, but very rich in minerals. Under the right circumstances legions of gems could have been made here.

There was just one problem.

"The entire planet is unstable." White explained, a hologram of the planet shown before them. "The core is in flux and had we begun any serious operations the entire thing could have fallen apart."

"Why not just hit where we think they are with a few orbital strikes then?" Blue suggested.

"Any immense firepower like that could set the planet to explode. We'd take out the enemy and half of our fleet with it." White replied.

"We're doing this the hard way then." Blue said exasperatedly.

* * *

The planet was even more dusty then it had appeared from space. Not with sand so much, but sand and dirt that flew on the wind. The planet mostly simply consisted of plains, plateaus and gorges.

White looked over one such gorge, it looked like it could go down over a thousand feet or more. "See anything?" Blue called from her palanquin.

White turned around as the dust blew through her hair. "No." she said simply before striding back to her own palanquin and sitting down.

The gems behind them had already set up the camp near the drop ship. The base of these rebels was somewhere in the many gorges and cracks in the planet that had been caused by the constant earthquakes.

Blue watched as her sister seemed to stare out at nothing, seemingly in thought. She frowned at this. "Come sister, you can't be serious..." she said.

White remained silent.

"Was it that confrontation with Yellow? Look, you know she didn't really mean anything."

Nothing.

"Or Are you still thinking about that Pearl? It's not like-"

"Blue?"

"Yes?"

"Be silent."

"Very well."

Things were like that for a few minutes before White sighed. "I didn't see it coming Blue." Blue, to her credit said nothing and let her eldest sister continue. "She was at my side for longer than I can remember. I knew her longer than our youngest sister. _Stars…_ I had her for the better part of _your_ existence" White clenched her fists and then relaxed them. "How long was she working for them? How long was I so blind?"

Her younger sister frowned. "It's not your fault, White. You have so many duties, so many things on your mind…" she trailed off.

"And that's supposed to be an excuse?" White asked. "I am White Diamond. The leader of the Diamonds, of _all_ gem-kind. My failure means the failure of all gems. I can't afford mistakes, not even a small one. And this…" she said motioning to all around her. "…is more than a small mistake." She brought a hand to her face, rubbing her temple. "I sometimes wonder if Yellow is right. I've been ruling for so long… it has worn me down."

Blue was silent for a moment, seeming to want to say something. "White, sometimes I can't stand the way you rule. Sometimes, I think Yellow is right and you're overly cautious. Sometimes, I think you hold us back from what we could really achieve."

"I appreciate your honesty." White said.

"But…" Blue began. "There are times when I agree with you too. There are times when I think… no… I _know_ that the decisions you've made are the right ones." White looked to her sister and saw a smile coming from beneath the hood. "I've been around for a long time too White. And we're still here, because of you. It's wasn't your fault and if you suspected nothing not I nor Yellow nor Pink would have fared any better. You do the best you can, and whether or not you hear it from anyone else, know this one thing. You've done amazingly."

White was a bit surprised at Blue's reassuring words, surprised and glad. She even smiled.

"Thank you, Blue."

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

The rain kept coming down hard outside, the gems had just finished setting up the communications relay for the camp and Yellow was ready to get down to business. Drops ships were coming in now, the small field being appropriated for military drills. She looked towards the forest and watched as her sister walked her way out of it. Pink stumbled out as she freed herself from an overhanging vine and made her way towards the camp.

"Have fun sightseeing?" Yellow asked.

"Yes, my guide was quite informative." Pink replied.

Yellow raised a single eyebrow at this. "Guide?"

"Yes, you know, the guide you sent?" Pink said. Yellow's face remained unchanged. "Little? Green? Goes by Idocrase?"

"I didn't send any guide after you." Yellow said.

Pink's facial features reflected her confusion. "Wait…" She looked back towards the forest. "Then who-"

"My Diamonds." A large orange gem, a jasper by the looks of it, addressed. "We're ready to begin our operations to siege the abandoned facility."

Yellow turned to her. "Very well, let's get on with it then." She rose from her palanquin and walked over to the camp where commander gems were waiting on orders from their leaders. Pink looked to the forest one last time before joining her sister as she begun the briefing. She spotted her own gems mixed in among them, Flint and Amethyst. The former appointed one of the three main commanders and the later a lesser commander. Peridot was working back away at one of the terminals in the camp and Pearl was awaiting her Diamond along with Yellow's near the ship.

"You all know your duties." She began. "The enemy is out there and they need to be eliminated." She looked over the crowd. She pressed a button on the holographic display and the field before them shown above as well as the forest beyond. Dots glowed on screen and lines formed intersecting from the field into the forest. "These are the main three paths that we will be taking into the forest, the base will be somewhere beyond. Once found activate a become and the remaining forces will converge for the siege on the base." She pressed another button and the holographic image dispersed. "Your route assignment will be given out after you've converged with your gems, be ready for a fight." The gems nodded in unison to the diamond. Yellow turned to her sister. "Anything to add Pink Diamond?" she asked.

All eyes were suddenly on her and Pink wasn't sure what to do. She hadn't expected to do any speaking and suddenly being thrown on the spot surprised her and made her uncomfortable.

However, she was still a Diamond.

"Like Yellow said troops, you're all here for a reason." She raised a fist into the air. "Do your best! The enemy doesn't stand a chance!" The gems cheered before dispersing to their squads.

Yellow turned to her sister with a smile. "Not bad, sister." Pink simply returned the smile with one of her own.

* * *

Onyx sat atop a pyramid, eyes closed, listening to the sounds around her. She could hear them in the distance. Troops from that camp she'd seen were making their way here, soon they'd enter the forest. She stood up and brushed herself off. "They have no idea what they're in for." She said aloud before taking out a small vial of corrupted gel.

* * *

White and Blue stood side by side, standing in the center of the camp as drop ships came down and added more soldiers to their forces. "Where exactly is this place supposed to be?" Blue asked.

White pulled a map on their hologram projector. "The facility we're looking for was built right into the side of one of the gorges. Unfortunately, constant tectonic shifting and years of absence here have made our maps obsolete." She pressed a button and the image was gone. "Which means we'll be looking for it the hard way."

"Lovely." Blue sighed looking up to the sky, a single hand extended out. "I can barely feel the moisture in the air…" she rubbed her index finger and thumb together. "…if there's any at all." She returned her hand to her robe. "I shouldn't be here, not on this dust ball."

"I suspect there is, or was, water here." White said a hand on her chin. "Some of the gorges, they weren't cracked and dusted like they'd been ripped apart by some tectonic movement. They were smooth, ordered, patterned, eroded away bit by bit over millennia by water." She turned to her sister. "I suspect it may still be here in some places."

Blue Diamond seemed to be silent for a moment before speaking again. "If there is, I can't feel it." She tapped her foot in the ground, dust sprinkling up for a moment. "It must be buried deeply then. I can't feel it."

"The scouts have already been sent out." White said looking out to the dusty plains. "Shall we see what this 'dust ball' has to offer?"

* * *

The crunch of branch and leaves was heard over and over as the gem soldiers made their way through the forest. The commanding gem, a jasper with a long mohawk, gave the silent signal of halt. According to the data the base they were looking for was within the next two hundred yards, they had better be on their guard.

She heard rustling and saw a bush nearby shaking. "Everyone be ready." She ordered as the group summoned their respective weapons. A small furry creature popped out holding a small blue sphere, at the sight of the gems it immediately turned around and fled. The jasper lowered her club and turned around to address her subordinates, only to find a single ruby standing all alone, her hands behind her back. The jasper marched right up to her. "Hey, where did the others run off to? I didn't order anyone to break ranks!" she barked.

The little ruby, shrugged. "I don't know, they were here a second ago."

The Jasper sighed. "What do you mean?!" she bellowed. "Where are they?!" she asked as her face got real close to the ruby's, the smaller gem showing signs of intimidation.

"I don't… I don't…oh, wait. That's right." She said, her look of fear quickly turning smug. "They're right here." The jasper looked down to see a blade penetrating her torso, the ruby's other hand was outstretched and held several gems of varying colors and sizes, her squad. The orange gem poofed and the ruby caught the gem. The little gem changed form and Onyx tossed the stones in her hand up and down before catching them again. "I wonder how many I can get before they reach the base?"

* * *

The palanquin of Blue and White crawled by side by side as their escorts surrounded them. They had made their way to the base of one of the gorges and were currently making their way through it. The scout team they had sent ahead was due to meet them there, to see if they had gotten any closer to finding the enemy's base.

And now they were late in reporting.

The caravan stopped as they reached their meeting place. "Where are they?" Blue demanded of one of her guards.

"I don't know, my Diamond." One of them responded as she bent down to inspect the ground. "There was something here, but it's hard to make out." She said as she studied the ground. She reached out and pulled something out of the ground that had been nearly hidden by the dirt.

It was a communicator.

"One of ours?" White asked. The guard nodded. "It would seem we won't be meeting up with the scouts then."

The sound of crumbling rubble overhead caught their attention as a block of stone fell towards them. One of their guards jumped up and kicked the stone away only for more and more to stop dropping down. The guards started jumping and swinging weapons at the falling debris but they could only stem the tide of dirt and rock for so long.

"All of you, close ranks." White ordered as she stepped out from beneath her palanquin. They did as they were told, albeit somewhat reluctantly as the stones kept falling from overhead. White raised a single palm to the sky and light came streaming out, going up and over the caravan, creating a near-white see-through dome around them. The stones continued falling, landing on top of the dome and stacking on top of each other, eventually burying them.

The last stone fell atop the others and all was quiet for a moment.

Then the rocks rumbled and were swept aside as the dome underneath extended upwards and the out, pushing back the pile to either side. Once she had clearer enough room White closed her palm and the dome disappeared.

"You weren't wrong about the tectonic movement here, sister. This planet is a deathtrap." Blue said dusting herself off.

White said nothing, walking over to the stones and peering down at them. "No, this wasn't tectonic activity." She picked up one of the stones and held it up, it was crumbled on several sides and fractured, but clean smooth flat edges could be made out. "Whoever did this didn't need to, they wanted to make sure we noticed."

A dark shadow covered the group and they all looked up to see a massive cube of stone falling towards them. White held up a hand and light shot from it, spreading across the stone and stopping it in midair holding it in stasis. She flung it away and in its place, at the top of the ridge, stood a green-hued gem with long, curled hair, her arms crossed and a smirk across her face. "Not bad, I knew the Diamonds were strong, but stars… you guys are the real deal."

White said nothing, only narrowed her eyes, but Blue practically snarled as she called out to the new gem. "How dare you attack us!"

The gem turned to Blue. "Ah Blue Diamond, you're every bit arrogant as I remember. Even when at such a disadvantage." She said.

"What?!" Blue said outraged.

"I think that'll be enough outta you for now." The green gem said before stomping her foot down, a large crevice opening beneath Blue and the guards. The fell and were swallowed up before they could even react, the ground returning to normal and leaving White and the new gem by themselves.

The green gem dropped down from her perch and landed on her feet, some distance away from White. "What did you do?" White asked her.

"I've simply moved them off the field White Diamond, now it's just you and me." She said confidently.

"You're going to challenge me?" White asked, rather calmly. 'Who are you?"

The gem clenched her fists. "My name is Diopside, remember it well." She said before looking White dead in the eyes. "It's the name of the gem who shattered a Diamond."

* * *

Pink and Yellow made their way through the dense underbrush, pushing aside leaves and branches as they made their way to where their scouts had secured the abandoned facility.

They found it, a small pyramid sticking out of the ground, covered with moss and brush. About a three dozen gems were gathered in front of it, all of whom snapped to attention as their leaders approached. Yellow looked to them, quickly counting the numbers, then she turned to one of the quartz commanders. "What's happened? Where are the rest?"

The amethyst saluted. "My Diamond, we've… we've lost contact to everyone else."

"What?" Pink asked aloud, she looked around quickly and saw Amethyst and Flint had made it safely, giving an inner sigh of relief.

"We were all that made it here." She finished almost ashamedly.

Yellow pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. "Okay, okay, alright then." She took a deep breath, let go of the bridge of her nose and opened her eyes. "Begin the breach of the facility, it's time to put an end to this."

"At once, my Diamond." The soldier replied. Several of the non-commanding quartzes drew their weapons and began to cut into the pyramid, it's surface resisted at first, but gave way to the weapons as they applied more pressure. Within a few minutes a square hole was cut into the pyramid's grey and green surface. Wind blew out from within as the group peered down a long and surprisingly wide shaft leading down into darkness.

"Age before beauty." Pink said snarkily.

Yellow raised a brow to her sister before turning back to the commanding quartz. "Go." She commanded.

The amethyst nodded, motioning troops in as they grabbed hold of the wire-rope of the elevator shaft and plunged in. One by one they descended into the shaft until only the Diamonds remained. Pink looked to the shaft and then her sister and back again. She then leaned down to where the hole had been cut and, with a little effort, widened it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Yellow asked.

"If you'd rather stay up here Yellow, by all means but I'm going to see this through personally." She replied.

"There's no need for-" Yellow started before seeing that her sister was now gone and she was talking to herself. "-that." She looked down to the shaft, breathed deeply once and plunged in after them.

* * *

Pink had underestimated the jump she was now subjecting herself to, she thought it would be a quick drop just out of sight but it was turning into a near freefall.

 _ **CLANK**_

The bottom of her boots sounded off as she hit the top of a metal surface, presumably the elevator. She turned to look down and could faintly see light coming through a hole that had been made in the elevator's top.

Pink bent down and widened the hole, managing to squeeze herself in and landing inside the elevator. Several lit gems turned towards her and then back out towards the inner facility. Pink heard the clanging of boots above her and moved to the side as Yellow lowered herself next to her, filling up the elevator.

Pink stared at her. "What?" Yellow asked.

Her young sister shrugged. "I guess I wasn't really expecting you to come."

"Someone has to watch over you. Besides, it's been ages since I've been on the frontlines, I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it." Yellow replied with an honest smile that happily surprised Pink.

The two walked out and found the soldiers in a great room that separated into hallways. The commanding gem turned to the Diamonds. "The facility here is decrepit my Diamonds." She informed. "From what we've been able to glean from the schematics of this facility there are still several sub levels below this one, each one of these hallways lead to one of them. We're not sure which the enemy might be in though."

"Which means we'll have to divide our forces." Pink finished wearily.

"Hmm… we have no idea what might lie in wait for us, but at the same time if we all go as one we will waste too much time." Yellow said a hand on her chin. "We'll have to take that risk, but not into three forces into two." She turned to her sister. "You lead one of the groups and I'll take the other, if we find nothing in either hallway we come back and join together for the last."

"And what if one of us doesn't come back?" Pink asked.

"Then it means that one of us found the enemy and is either fighting them or…" she trailed off.

Pink nodded in understanding. "Alright Yellow, we'll do this your way." Pink turned to the soldiers who had been patiently waiting for their leaders to decide on a plan of action. "Beta and Gamma, with me. The rest with Yellow Diamond. Move!" she ordered.

* * *

 _Just outside the facility's entrance…_

* * *

Onyx took note of the gaping hole in her base's entrance and dropped the gems she been holding on the ground. "Looks like I've underestimated them. Didn't think they'd make it this far this quickly. Gotta catch up before they find _her_." With that last thought, she jumped into the darkness.

* * *

Diopside huffed loudly her arms hanging at her sides as she slumped over, barely keeping on her feet.

White stood away from her, arms crossed and completely unfazed as piles of small chunks of rock surrounded her. "Are we done here?" she asked.

The green gem gritted her teeth and launched yet another large stone from the ground, aiming for White Diamond's head. She barely moved a finger as she effortlessly summoned a shield around herself and the rock smashed against it. White dismissed the shield and began walking towards her. "So 'Diopside' why don't you stop this and return my sister and the rest of my gems?" she asked.

Diopside spat at her and White stopped in her tracks, nearly within arm's reach of her. "What are you trying to prove little gem?" The green gem locked eyes with the Diamond, her eyes flaring with defiance and rage. "You can't win, you must know that. Surrender and I may consider being lenient considering your actions."

Diopside dropped to her knees and gripped her stomach apparently in pain, but then swiftly threw a vial at White Diamond. The giant gem noticed it too late and it smashed against her arm. White backed away and examined her arm, a black substance stuck to it and it was slowly but steadily expanding. "What is this?" she asked.

"Like it?" Diopside asked with a cunning grin. "It's a special replicating, light-absorbing, quick drying, adhesive polymer. One of my friends made it for me, I like to call it the Black Water." White tried scraping and clawing at it with her other hand but to no avail as it spread to the tips of her other hand. It continued to spread as Diopside sneered. "It wasn't really something I wanted to rely on. I wanted to beat you without any tricks, I even saved my trump card, but this'll have to do."

As White's arm and most of her body was covered in the black water she tried to emit light from her palms but found she was unable to. She could also feel the black water stiffening her movements, beginning to hold her in place. White gave one last, surprisingly calm look to Diopside before it engulfed her completely, leaving a large black humanoid statue in her place. The green gem then clapped her hands together and two slabs of dirt and stone popped out and encased the statue. "Well that's one down and one to go."

* * *

Blue opened her eyes to a dark void before her. She activated her gem's light and was met with some sort of underground cavern. She looked around and saw two dozen gems laying around, her guards and the scouting gems before that. The sound of ground ripping apart sounded above her and Blue watched as the green gem she had briefly seen was now descending towards her on a stone pillar. She smugly grinned towards the Diamond as she descended. "Blue Diamond, So sorry about that. White Diamond and I simply had some private business to take care of."

Blue's eyes shot open wide. "What have you done?!" she bellowed.

"I've done what I've been planning to do for _centuries_!" she bellowed back. "I've had my revenge on a Diamond…" she clenched her fist. "…but it's not enough. YOU _ALL_ NEED TO PAY!" She made a stone punching motion and a boulder came flying at Blue, she barely dove out of the way as it smashed into the wall behind her.

Diopside gave a cruel sneer. "That's right Blue Diamond, I almost forgot! You can control liquids right? Too bad you came to this dust ball!" With that she launched another rock and Blue ducked. "How does it feel Blue Diamond?!" she said before a stone pillar launched out of the ground and uppercuted her, sending Blue's hood flying back and revealing her face. Her feet sunk into the ground and two pillars of stone engulfed her hands before the green gem walked closer. "How does it feel?" she asked again, quieter. "To be so helpless?"

Blue tried to turn away but a great stone hand shot from the ground, grabbing blue by the head and turned it back to Diopside. "Look at you, what makes you think you're so much better than anyone else?" The Diamond said nothing only gazed at the smaller gem with loathing. "Even now, look at you. The high and mighty Blue Diamond, looking down on me, on _all_ gems."

A small steady stem of water came pouring from one of the cracks in the ground, slowly at first but soon a thick stream formed. It shot out and wrapped around Diopside and threw her aside. The water then whipped through the stone holding Blue captive, freeing her.

The green gem wiped her mouth as she stood up to face Blue Diamond. "I really must thank you." Blue started as water continued to pour up from the ground. "If you hadn't brought me down here, so near to where this planet's last reserves of water were, I might have never gotten to them. And going on and on like that, really, thank you." Blue gave a victorious smirk. "And now it's over."

Diopside smiled wildly, she pulled out another flask, one Blue recognized as the corrupted gel. "No, it's only just begun." She poured it into her open mouth and the gem on Diopside's chest began to glow brightly. The green gem's form grew and transformed, her hair grew darker and more green and extra arms popped out of her side. When she was done, she was much larger, nearly the size of Blue Diamond and looked much closer to a beast. Diopside looked up to Blue Diamond, her eyes now black and her iris shining a bright white. " _ **NOW**_ **, IT'S OVER.** "

* * *

 **Wow, I am late on this. Gotta fix that.**


	11. Ch 11: Beasts

**Chapter 11, coming from Kevin.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Beasts

Pink walked carefully along the facility's path, most of the soldiers with her were in the front and walking ahead to check for danger and scout ahead. Only Amethyst remained behind Pink to check for dangers coming up from behind. She was surprised at this, usually she and Flint were inseparable, but ever since they'd gotten off Igon they both seemed distant.

The Diamond leaned down just enough for Amethyst to hear her. "Hey Amethyst." She whispered.

The purple gem looked up to her, her attention momentarily torn from her duty. "Yes?" she replied back in the same hushed tone.

"You seem distracted, are you okay?" Pink asked.

"I'm doing well, my Diamond. I appreciate your concern." She answered back.

Pink didn't like that, that sort of response sounded too automated. It was as if she'd been expecting the question and answered it before she even asked.

"Are you sure?" Pink asked.

Amethyst said nothing in return.

"Because you just seem…"

"My Diamond!" Amethyst said a little louder than she meant to, surprising her and gaining attention from some of the other gems. They all stopped and stared at Amethyst who looked away. "It's nothing."

The Diamond had the courtesy to simply drop it and walked on, perhaps she should-

"Hold up!" came a voice from the front, one she recognized as Flint's.

"What is it?" Pink asked as she stepped by the gems in front of her until she saw what had stopped them. A large root had pried through from the ceiling and gnarled and twisted its way along the path in front of them.

"These are thick, shouldn't be too much of a problem though." Flint said as she summoned her sword. She swung and the blade bit hard into the bark.

Pink felt a howl of pain radiating outwards and nearly fell to her knees. "What? Where-?"

Flint turned around in astonishment at her Diamond's sudden discomfort. "Boss!" she walked over placing a hand on Pink's knee. The other gems took notice of this action but said nothing, waiting for Pink Diamond's reply.

Pink straightened herself up and waved Flint off. "It's alright, I'm fine." Flint nodded, backing off, she took hold of her sword and this time hacked clean through.

The pain was much more pronounced this time and Pink Diamond fell to a knee, she covered her ears and her eyes clenched tight. "STOP!" she cried. The shock spread out from Pink and washed over every other gem there. Flint's weapon was jerked from her hand and dispersed. She looked to her now empty hand and then to her leader in shock.

The young Diamond slowly stepped forward, her eyes still shut, her hands reaching forward blindly. The gems backed away in fear, no one had _ever_ seen her react this way. Pink placed a single hand on the root, she slowly felt down until she reached the stump. She took a sharp breath, as she placed a palm over its smooth surface. The young Diamond felt such great sorrow for this creature well up within her. She also felt… something strange sliding down her face. Pink reached up and wiped off a single droplet of water and without even thinking about it she reached down and touched the stump of the root.

Pink felt… lighter, a sense of relief as the root's wound sealed closed. She pressed her forehead to its surface and a single word sounded through her mind.

" _Go."_

The root twitched for a moment before it began to recede into the ceiling and moving out of sight, leaving a gaping hole. Pink's eyes widened suddenly as if she snapped out of a trance, she turned around to see all the gems staring at her in a mixture of awe, disbelief, and uncertainty. "Well, hallway's cleared up. Shall we?"

* * *

Yellow Diamond walked along the path along with her soldiers, according to the schematics of the facility she was heading towards the main control room. Even if the enemy wasn't there, if she could find a server of some sort to access, perhaps she could finally see the full scope of the enemy's plans.

The hallway emptied out into a large room. The soldiers spread out and Yellow looked around curiously. The room was massive but empty, Yellow didn't like the feel of this, something wasn't right. As if on cue lights switched on and the room was brightly illuminated.

"Yellow Diamond." Came a voice from over an intercom. "I see you've made you way into my home. I bet you thought this was the way to the control center of this place… Nope!" Yellow Diamond grimaced at this as she realized what had happened. "See we knew that you had the schematics for the facilities we were using, so we rearranged their layout long ago. Want to know which room you're in now?" Yellow could almost see the smug grin as the voice relayed the next part. "I call it, the Playroom' ."

As if on cue the room was sealed and panels on the walls opened up. Turrets popped out, opening fire on the gems, several of them were poofed right away. Others managed to dive out of the way, summoning the weapons and attacking the turrets.

Yellow took a knee, pointing towards the nearest turret with a single finger. A streak of electricity shot out and the turret sputtered before exploding, she did the same to the others in quick succession. The broken turrets receded into the walls and Yellow took a moment to access her surroundings. Only four gems were left standing, three of her quartz soldiers and a ruby, looking rather timid among them. The inactive gems lay on the floor and suddenly the lights inside the room were cut.

Yellow's gem illuminated the room, as did the gems of her remaining forces, but the gems on the floor were gone now. "Stay alert!" she ordered. The gems gathered back to back, readying their weapons for whatever came.

The intercom sounded again. "Let's stop playing games." With that the walls began to glow, slowly, and dimly at first but grew, crackling with electricity.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Yellow asked. She reached out a single hand and touched the wall, the electricity arced around her arm. "As if this little electrical charge could-" the panels she had lain her hand against suddenly gave way and Yellow fell forward, her arm sinking into the wall. She attempted to step back but was unable to move her arm, something had clamped tight around it. "What is-" she suddenly felt weak, as if her energy was being siphoned off. She turned her head towards the remaining gems. "You, get this thing off me!" she ordered.

One of the quartzes stepped up to try helping her leader but this time the floor gave way beneath her and she fell through, the floor quickly replacing itself. The same thing happened as adjacent walls opened up and a mass of wires grabbed the remaining gems, leaving only the ruby, looking as timid as ever. Yellow stared at the gem and inwardly sighed, she wasn't much but she'd have to do. Yellow pointed to her with her free arm. "You! Help me."

The ruby did as she was told, drawing out her weapon, a small dagger. She approached Yellow Diamond, then looked from her leader to the wall in which her arm was trapped and back. "Well?!" Yellow asked pointedly. The ruby lifted her dagger and sunk it into Yellow's leg. "Augh!" Yellow yelled out before reaching with the stabbed leg and attempting to kick the ruby away. The little gem effortlessly jumped over the clumsy movement and landed some feet away. "How dare you! Ugh! Why?!"

The ruby grinned before her form changed with a bright light and Onyx appeared in her place. "Because I could. Isn't that your motto Yellow Diamond?" she asked.

"You! You're that rogue gem!" Yellow said, still attempting to free herself from the wall.

"It's Onyx, and yeah, I figured you try something with the wall when you saw electricity surging through it, but now well, now I've got you." She said rather smugly.

"When did-"

"Almost as soon as you split from Pink Diamond." She explained. "You all make it rather simple for me, overlooking little rubies so easily. But then, what's one more ruby when there are thousands, right?"

Yellow attempted to send out electricity with her free hand at the gem but could summon little more than a spark from the ends of her finger tip. Onyx shook her head. "Sorry, your energy's all being siphoned elsewhere. No more firepower for you."

Yellow's face twisted with frustration began to soften, if only a little. "So what now? Are you going to try and shatter me while I'm trapped like this?"

Onyx shrugged. "Well, I'd love to, really… I would." She said putting emphasis on the last word. "But, I got another Diamond roaming my home. And, at the rate she's going, she's going to stumble upon, well let's say you two aren't my only guests, So I gotta get going." The dark gem tapped a floor plate twice with her foot and it slid open. "Have fun here, though I doubt you'll do little more than power my generator here. Maybe I'll just keep you like this, my own personal battery." She mused. "A Diamond doing what she's supposed to after all, working to serve us lesser gems." Onyx jumped down the hole, leaving Yellow to scream with frustration.

* * *

Blue looked with shock at this… thing before her. This gem looked corrupted, yet as she stared into the bright white iris of her opponent she could see the cognitive thinking, the signs of awareness and intelligence. "What… are you?"

The green gem laughed. " **Like I told your sister before I took her down, my name's Diopside! The Diamond shatterer!** "

Blue's eyes widened. "No, there's no way you took down White Diamond!" she shouted.

Diopside's smile grew only wider. " **HA! That look! That look of shock! It's true.** **I took down the Great White Diamond!** "

Blue struck with her water, striking Diopside across the face. The green gem took a few steps back and wiped her face. " **Heh. Does it make you made? To know someone you love is gone?** " Diopside victorious smile faded, replaced by a grimace. " **Maybe now you understand, if only a little.** "

The Diamond summoned what water she could as it floated in the air around her. With a quick flick of her wrist large ice shards shot through the air towards Diopside. The green gem jerked her head up and stone shot up to shield her. She kicked it towards Blue who sliced it in half, the piece landing behind her. " **Shall I show you?** " she made a gesture and the rocky ceiling above them opened up and the ground beneath them was pushed up, putting them outside again. " **There.** " Diopside made a gesture to behind Diamond and she turned to look. She saw a single large stone of dirt and stone. The green gem waved a hand and the excess fell away, revealing the unmistakable form of White Diamond, trapped in stone.

"White!" Blue called out, a great look of concern on her features. She turned back to Diopside. "You… how dare you…" Blue growled beginning to shake with rage.

" **That's it. Get angry. Hurt. The way we've hurt.** " Diopside spat, her voice filled with loathing.

Blue looked to the water she had on hand, she couldn't afford to waste any more of the water she had. "To think that'd, I'd have to resort to this." Blue held a single hand, palm down and closed her eyes. The water floating around her began to gather under her palm, it twisted and formed a long pole. It rotated in the air, faster and faster, the water compressing and hardening. She then gripped it from the air and swung it around, a blue, ornately decorated, trident.

Diopside smirked. " **The Trident of Blue Diamond. I hear a Diamond only draws her weapon when she's backed into a corner.** " The smirk deepened into a full-on grin. " **Good. I want to beat you at your best, so you know that you were never as superior as you thought you were.** "

Blue swung around the trident in arcs around herself. "You want to see me at my best?" She swung the trident faster and faster, the remaining water around her disperse into the air. She then stopped, swinging the trident into the ground. "Done." The temperature, on this hot desert-like planet, began to drop, the skies, cloudless and clear, began to darken.

Diopside looked up. " **What is this?** " Blue said nothing, only gripped her trident tighter. The wind picked up and white specs began to form, falling from the sky. They swirled in the wind, mixing in with the dust and sand, clumping on the ground and making ugly, brown slush on the ground. Diopside narrowed her eyes and began to move forward towards Blue. The wind blew harder and harder, the green gem looked down to her arm, covered in frost, then to her feet, frozen in the slush. Still she tried to walk towards Blue but the ice only formed faster, covering her entire form, until her body was sealed in solid ice.

Blue Diamond breathed heavy, forcing the planet's weather to change like that had taken a lot of her power. She looked to the frozen ground and then to the sky which now dispersed, the moisture was quickly scattering into the atmosphere, her liquid supply was gone.

She turned back to the encased statue of White Diamond, running over to it. There didn't look to be any conventional way to free her eldest sister, she took her trident and picked away at the stone, it crumbled away revealing a hardened black surface underneath. "What is-"

 _ **CRACK**_

Blue turned around, a single fracture on the solid ice that encased Diopside, formed. The crack spread further and larger until the green gem burst out of the ice. " **Was that it? I expected more.** " She gave a conceited look to Blue. " **Did you think a little water could hold me?** " With a single motion, she summoned a whip of sand and mud and wrapped it around Blue's arm. Diopside pulled with a great force, sending Blue into the air and sending her crashing down into the ground.

Blue had dropped her trident in the sudden attack and it lay some feet away from her. She tried to reach for it only for her arm to be slammed down by a great stone. "Augh!" she cried out.

The Diamond turned to see Diopside standing over her, looking down. The green gem put a boot to Blue's head and pushed down, sending it into the dirt. " **Look at you, did everything you could.** " She leaned in closer, bending down. " **But you couldn't even beat a lowly little gem like me.** " Diopside took her boot off the Diamond's head, summoning a great cube of dirt and rock from the ground. " **Goodbye, Blue Diamond. You were never as mighty as you thought you were.** "

The great stone came down only for a shot of white light to come from behind and slam into it, reducing it to rubble. " **What the-** " Another beam of light knocked Diopside into the dirt. Blue managed to get up, clutching her arm to see her sister, black flakes peeling off her and her palm smoking.

She walked towards Blue, her eyes narrowed and a dark grimace on her face. "White… are you…?"

White Diamond momentarily looked towards her sister, the back to Diopside who had picked herself off the ground, wiping her chin. " **No… no, the Black Water should have taken care of you.** "

"You miscalculated, on multiple accounts now." White, said her voice dark and dripping with barely-contained fury. "You want to see the power of a Diamond?" She said, her hands beginning to glow with White Light. "Let me show you what that means."

* * *

Pink continued to walk along the path, though now she was in the lead and the gems kept a respectful distance behind her now. Even Amethyst and Flint now walked side by side, exchanging looks with each other and at their leader. Amethyst finally decided to speak. "What was that?" she asked. "What she did?"

"You mean the part where our mild-mannered Diamond shrieked at the top of her lungs and forced me to dismiss my weapon? Or the other part where she communicated with that organic and forced it to leave?" Flint asked back.

"Either? Both?" The purple quartz replied. "I've never seen anything like it, any of what she did."

Flint shrugged. "You and I have known her longer than anybody else, but maybe it's just because she's… you know."

Amethyst looked to Flint, to her Diamond and back. "Pink?"

Flint smacked the purple quartz upside her head. "A Diamond, Am." Her face became grave. "I heard they're all like that. Diamonds got power like you wouldn't believe, maybe that's hers."

Amethyst rubbed the back of her head. "Why have we never seen it before?"

The grey gem shrugged again. "I don't know…" Flint summoned her sword looking at its flat edge, seeing her reflection looking back. "…I've never seen anything like it." She repeated under her breath.

"Hey!" Pink called out from the front, breaking Flint's concentration. "All of you get up here." The gems hurried forward and saw as the hallway opened up to two great metal doors. "You mind?" she asked.

Several of the quartz soldiers stepped up, including Flint and Amethyst. The grey quartz struck her blade into the door's slit, opening it up a little. The quartzes around Flint grabbed hold of the door's sides, pulling them apart, bit by bit.

A dark room opened before them, a sense of foreboding washed over the entire group as they entered. "Be careful." Pink advised as they poured into the room. It was longer than it had initially looked, extending way father than Pink would think necessary for a facility this size, what could it be for?

"Pink Diamond!" came a voice from the hallway. She turned to look and saw her sister standing in the doorway.

"Yellow?" Pink asked, confused to see her here. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you." Yellow replied as she stepped inside. "Some gem took out my soldiers and said she was coming for you." Her sister stepped into the room.

"Well, you found me." Pink said, now looking deeper into the room. "We were just about to-hey!" Yellow had stepped forward, grabbing Pink's wrist.

"We should retreat and regroup our forces, wait for reinforcements to arrive." The elder Diamond said, pulling Pink along.

"Yellow!" Pink stopped her sister, digging her heal into the metal floor and wrenching her wrist free. "What's your hurry? We still have soldiers with us, we should continue to look around."

Yellow shook her head. "No, Pink. This place is dangerous, we should leave now while we can."

The youngest Diamond was about to reply when something fell on her from the ceiling. "Hey! What the-?" she turned to look at the cause, only to see… an arm, flopping on the floor like a dying fish. She picked it up with one hand, holding it up to her face. It pinched her nose and she smacked it off. "This… is an arm… with no body." She said, curiously looking at it. The arm then managed to wiggle free of her grasp and fell to the floor. "Hey! Get back here!" she said trying to catch it, but proving to be surprisingly slippery.

The other gems turned at the sudden outburst and watched as the arm slinked away into the darkness. "Whoa, what was that?" Amethyst asked.

Flint summoned her weapon. "C'mon, let's go and get it!" she shouted to the other gems, who lead by Flint charged into the darkness.

"No, wait!" Yellow called out, but too late. The two Diamonds could hear the rustling of chains and a roar, then silence.

Flint came flying from the dark, skidding on the ground before coming to a stop. She slowly picked up her head and sat up, rubbing it. "What was…?"

Pink bent down to inspect the grey gem. "Flint! Are you alright?"

"I'm alright." She said picking herself up. "But, my Diamond, there's _something_ back there."

"What is it? A corrupted gem?" Pink asked.

She shook her head. "I don't think so." She looked back towards the darkness. "It's all chained up, and it's big, _very_ big. Took out most of us with a single wave of its arm." Just as she said this Amethyst and two rubies came running out.

"Am!" Flint exclaimed as she ran forward to embrace the purple gem. "I thought it got you."

"It came close." Amethyst admitted. "That thing is _huge_!"

"The others?" Pink asked and the purple quartz shook her head. "No, all the others lost their physical forms."

"Like I said, we should regroup with more soldiers." Yellow said turning to leave.

Pink sighed. "Yes… you're right." She stopped then, pausing for a moment. "You're… right." She said slowly.

"I know that already, let's go." Yellow said waking away.

"How did you know?" Pink asked, causing Yellow to stop mid-stride. "How did you know there was something back there?" she asked.

Yellow Diamond sighed, turning around and rubbing the back of her head. "Looks like I messed up, huh?" she said. Pink and the gems all gave looks of confusion. Yellow's form began to glow until her entire form was encased in light and it began to shrink. The light faded and a grey-black gem, smaller and more lean than a quartz with razor cut hair, took her sister's place. "Hello, there."

"Who are you? Where's my sister?" Pink asked.

The gem frowned. "You don't remember? Back in the forest?"

Pink's eyes widened. "That was you? Idocrase?"

"Well as long as we're being honest, my name is actually Onyx." The grey gem replied.

"And Yellow? What did you do with her?" Pink asked, anger beginning to seep into her words.

"Ah, right. Yellow Diamond." Onyx said, scratching her chin. "She's in a bit of a bind of her own right now." The grey gem took notice of the Diamond's look of shock and anger. "Don't worry, she hasn't been shattered or anything, not yet anyways… but at the same time I can't let her leave."

"I don't care what vendetta you have against other gems, you're gonna answer for what you've done!" Pink shouted.

"'Vendetta'?! What I've done?!" Onyx shouted back, tapping a plate on the floor. It was gone for a couple of seconds before a pile of gems, suspended in a glass casing, appeared beside her. "You think I want to harm other gems?! This isn't about gems, it's about the Diamonds!"

"What are you talking about?" Pink asked.

Onyx shook her head in disbelief. "I really can't believe this, you don't know? You really have no idea?" She stared pacing in a circle as she went on. "You know, when I meet you in the forest. I was thinking about shattering you right there on the spot. But something told me to approach you instead. After all, I knew plenty about all the other Diamonds, but not Pink. And you seemed different, I thought you might be worth sparing the fate of the others. But now I see, it's not that you're nicer than your sisters, you're just far more naïve, and much more ignorant."

"Hey! No one talks that way about our Diamond!" Flint said taking a step forward.

"That's right." Amethyst said as she backed up Flint.

Onyx looked from one quartz to the other. "I see, looks like you're really rubbed off on them." The grey gem held out her palm and summoned a weapon, a halberd, swinging it around with great speed and force before stopping. "I take it you won't just leave then?"

"No, you're going to tell me everything you know." Pink said, readying herself as her gems did likewise.

Onyx gave a little smile, leaning forward, her hair falling in front of her eyes. "Is that so?" She tapped her foot twice on the ground and the entire room went extremely bright for a moment before fading to dark.

Pink looked around, momentarily blinded and saw Onyx quickly leap into action. She nearly cut Flint in half but the later managed to summon her sword and block it just in time. Amethyst tried to come up from behind but Onyx had already leaped into the air, using her weapon to sweep her off her feet and kick her into the rubies.

Pink tired to step forward and join the fray, but Onyx's halberd suddenly transformed into a whip and caught Pink around the foot, quickly yanking it and sending Pink tumbling to the floor. "You can change your weapon?" she asked.

The rogue gem smiled. "I can do so much more than just that." She said, glowing again, this time taking the form of Pink Diamond herself. The fake Pink then jumped onto the original, tumbling with her on the floor, the struggled like this with a few moments before breaking apart.

"Get her!" One said pointing to the other.

"No, get her!" The other said pointing to the first one.

Flint and the rubies looked between the two. How were they supposed to-

Amethyst threw her mace through the air, hitting one of the Diamonds in the forehead. She fell to the ground and a bright light again engulfed her, turning back into Onyx.

The other three gems looked to Amethyst. "How-?"

The purple quartz gave a quizzical look. "What? Weren't you guys paying attention to which one was which?" she asked.

Flint walked over and picked up Onyx by one of her arms. "You ready to surrender?"

The rogue gem looked to the quartz and summoned a mace in her free hand, swinging towards Flint's head. The later blocked it with her forearm and knocked it out of Onyx's hand with a swift punch to the gut. The quartz then threw Onyx hard against the ground, sending her bouncing off the ground and into the darkness.

Pink and the others walked in after her, their gem's lights shining brightly and the young Diamond saw it. This… _thing_ was all sorts of colors, a menagerie of different hues and shades. It was… big, amethyst hadn't been wrong about that. Even in the room they stood in now which was quite large, the creature seemed cramped. It looked to be hunched over, hiding its head behind its arms, which were cuffed at the wrists. Across the back appeared to be frills, but upon closer inspection Pink saw that they were arms, laid back in rows. In fact, looking closely, the entire body seemed to be made out limbs, interconnecting and acting as one.

The creature stirred as they neared, taking notice of their presence. As it moved, several smaller limbs seemed to fall off from it and scatter around. It lifted its head, no eyes, only more limbs, yet it seemed to sense their presence somehow. Onyx lay before it, badly beaten, her physical form beginning to phase out. The creature seemed to be looking at her and then began to shake.

"What is it do-?" Amethyst began to ask before she got her answer.

 _ **AAAAWWUUGH!**_

The creature howled in pain, pulling at its restraints and pounding its fists on the floor, again and again. So loud and powerful the whole room seemed to be shaking and the gems backed away. The chains gave way and whipped out. Onyx managed to pick herself off the floor, holding one arm and made her way closer to the creature. As she neared it began to calm down, becoming passive when she touched it.

The rogue gem calmed the beast but then pulled out a vial of the corrupted primordial gel. She said something, nearly inaudible but Pink heard it.

"Forgive me."

Onyx took the vial and tossed it inside the creature's mouth, then turned to around to give one last look to the gems, giving a toothy and knowing grin before her physical form gave out and she returned to her dormant gem state.

The creature seemed to be doing nothing at all, not even reacting to its friend's apparent demise. But it shuddered again and this time, its body began to grow and darken, becoming even more massive.

"Oh, no…" Pink whispered before the giant creature roared and charged them.

* * *

White moved quickly across the battlefield as she and Diopside battled. The latter sent massive amounts of stone and dirt her way only for White to blow them to pieces with light.

" **DIE DIE DIE!** " Diopside shouted as she rode a rock wave and continued to send huge rcoks at White. The Diamond effortlessly targeted the projectiles with pin-point accuracy and destroyed them.

White Diamond targeted one of Diopside's legs and shot. It hit and the gem fell over. The green gem tried to get up but White shot her other knee, forcing the rogue gem to kneel. White approached her, her face calm and collected. "Are you ready to give up?"

Diopside gritted her teeth. " **NO! NEVER!** "

White sighed running a hand through her hair. "It seems you still don't realize how big the gap between us is." The elder Diamond made a hand motion and white light gathered in her palm. The light straightened out and became a long glowing rod. The light faded and revealed a lavishly decorated staff, as long as White was tall.

The staff's head, a white jewel, began to glow, brighter and brighter, White then aimed it at a large plateau, miles away. Without even looking towards her target, White released the energy and it shot out towards it.

 _ **CRACKA-BOOOOOM**_

The plateau was blown apart in a spectacle of bright white light, continuing onwards through it and out into space.

White dismissed the staff and leaned down to Diopside. "You see? The difference in our power is as great as the space between stars."

The green gem, who had been amazed by the spectacle, now seemed frustrated with the knowledge, shaking with fury. " **Is that what you think? Well… WHY DON'T I SHOW YOU WHAT I CAN REALLY DO!** " Diopside raised her fists and White backed off, readying herself. The rogue gem brought them down hard on the ground and the elder Diamond felt a shockwave sent out, it had felt like the entire planet had shifted.

White looked around, the entire planet seemed to be vibrating now, only a little bit but she could definitely feel it. "What have you done…?"

The green gem gave a smirk. " **I win.** "

* * *

 _Meanwhile in Pink and Yellow's system…_

* * *

A small sleek ship dropped out of hyperspace, just barely out of range from being drawn into the sun. The ship's captain switched over to the video of its payload and sighed. "Thank you Onyx, I know what must be done."

* * *

 **Done, please review.**


	12. Ch 12: Fallen

**Chapter 12, coming from Melv… in**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Fallen

The entire planet felt like it was shaking. The dirt beneath White's feet seemed to be cracking apart, breaking down.

She turned to Diopside. "What have you done?!"

Diopside smiled, wearily but with a tine of victorious satisfaction. " **This whole planet… was unstable from the start. I just… helped it along… is all.** " She said between breaths, clearly drained of her energy. " **This whole planet is gonna come apart, and when it goes… you go.** "

"And what about you? You'll be destroyed as well."

Diopside looked to her gemstone, situated in her arm. " **After what I did… it was that was gonna happen… whether I defeated you… or not. At least this way… I'll be sure… you're gone.** " She finished as the gem began to splinter, her physical form now beginning to fluctuate.

"Why, why do this to other gems?" she asked.

" **This isn't… about gems… it's about Diamonds.** " The green gem clarified.

"Diamonds _are_ gems." White asserted.

Diopside gave a rueful smile. " **Are they? That's… news to me.** " She said, her form wavering more rapidly as the seconds passed. " **What… do you think you know… about gems… White Diamond? What are we… to you? Subjects…? Minions…? Tools…?** "

"I'm responsible for the wellbeing of all gem-kind." White replied. "I look after all gems, from rubies to Diamonds."

Diopside managed a chuckle at that. " **I have to wonder… do you really… believe that? Or… are you just… that blind?** "

"What exactly are you getting at?" White asked.

Diopside's gem continued to splinter, more and more. " **In time… you'll see… for now… at last… from Diamonds… I'm… free…** " she finished slowly before her physical form faded completely and her gem shattered into pieces, growing dark and cold.

White nearly reached for the shards before another tremor made her lose her footing and she was forced to balance herself. She pulled herself back as the pieces began to scatter into the dirt and be blown away by the wind.

The elder Diamond ran over to her sister, who had been laying down in the dirt, attempting to get a breather. "Blue? Are you alright?"

Blue waved it off. "I'll be fine, what's happening?"

"That rogue gem upset this planet's tectonics. It's coming apart." White said looking around as the vibrations and the shaking was beginning to worsen. "Can you make it back to base camp?" White asked, Blue nodded. "Good get off this rock now, I'll be right behind." Blue nodded again then ran off.

White located the inert gems of her guards and used her light power to reach down and pick up them up. With that she hurried back to their landing site.

She saw Blue ordering the immediate evacuation of all gems, the equipment would have to be left behind. The drop ships were attempting take off but the constant movement had made it difficult, so the process was slower than expected.

White saw a quartz running around. "You!" she ordered, the gem came to a halt and White Diamond emptied her gems into the waiting quartzes hands. "Take these onto the ship, go!" she ordered. The quartz nodded and ran off up the boarding ramp.

Blue was running towards White when another tremor hit, sending Blue stumbling into White's arms. "White! I don't think we're gonna make it! The constant tremors are making it hard for our pilots to take off! Even if we do the planet's explosion will catch us before we can get to safety! What are we going to do?!" she shouted over the constant noise around them.

White steadied her sister. "Take charge Blue, there's something I have to do."

"What?" Blue said before White let go, running outwards away from camp. "What are you doing?!" she shouted.

White continued to run, the planet vibrated and shook more and more, but she kept her pace as she made her way back to the gorge. The elder Diamond held out her hand again and summoned her staff. She closed her eyes and took a single step out from the edge, only for her foot to plant firmly in the air on a foothold of light just big enough for her foot to fit. She took another step out and planted another foot on a light foothold, this time higher, she did this ascending upon a staircase that built itself as she went until she was a sizeable distance into the air.

White raised her staff high into the air, gripping it with both hands. The staff began to glow, softly at first, but then very brightly. She pointed it down towards the planet and white light pour from it.

* * *

Blue had evacuated the gems, waiting on the loading ramp for her sister. "My Diamond!" One of the quartzes shouted from inside the ship. "We need to leave now!"

"We are not leaving without White Diamond!" Blue shouted back. Where was she? Blue then noticed something sliding along the ground, coming from where White had just ran off to. It was a thin wave of light that was shooting towards her like a wave. She saw as it enveloped the dirt, separating her from it and continued onwards. "No, she couldn't possibly be…" Blue turned around to the quartz. "Take off, but leave the loading ramp down!" she shouted over the engines. She looked off into the distance and could see a faint pilar of light and pointed to it. "There! Go that way and tell all the other ships to leave this planet!"

"At once, my Diamond!" she shouted back.

The lone dropship flew threw the air and Blue watched as the planet beneath the white veil was still crumbling apart. Blue kept looking out and saw the form of her sister, using her Diamond weapon to send out the wave of light.

As they drew near White looked up and saw her sister. "Blue! What are you still doing here?! Are the other ships away?!"" she shouted.

"Yes! We're the last ones!"

"Good! Then go!" White ordered.

"What are you talking about! You need to leave with us!" Blue shouted.

"I can't!" the elder Diamond shouted.

"What are you talking about?!" Her younger sister asked.

"The only thing keep this planet together right now is me! If I stop, the whole planet will explode!" White shouted as loud as she could.

"I'm not leaving without you!" Blue shouted back.

"You have to!" White ordered. "There's no time to argue! Leave!"

"I can't just leave you!" Blue pleaded.

White began to struggle as she felt the planet beneath her veil of light breaking down. She couldn't hold out much longer and at the rate the ship would escape, they were doomed all the same. She looked to her sister's pleading face to the planet and back.

She made a decision, looked to Blue, and smiled., then said something that Blue barely caught as her eyes went wide with surprise.

"Goodbye."

The eldest Diamond took a hand off her staff and quickly formed a bubble around Blue's ship, then quickly pushed if off and into space.

Blue caught herself on the loading ramp's edge and looked to the white covered planet. "NOOO!"

The planet had had enough, breaking apart and bursting through the shield, a grand explosion as the brown dust-ball had been reduced to nothing.

"WHITE DIAMOND!"

* * *

The strange creature growled at the gems as it tried to move towards them, but its massive seize had also prevented much more than a few massive, albeit clumsy, swipes at them. The roof above them creaked as the beast's back pressed up against it.

Amethyst and Flint sprang into action, deftly avoiding the colossal limbs as the purple quartz brought down her mace on its head. Only for the arms that made up the head to suddenly grab at her. Flint leaped up and cut off the protruding hands, freeing Amethyst as they jumped backwards.

"Ugh! This thing it too big!" Flint said. "No way to get a good hit in!"

The beast tried to move for them again it's back scraped against the top of the ceiling more and more, panels began to fall down.

"It's going to bring this whole place down on us!" Amethyst shouted.

Pink pointed towards the doorway. "Let's get out of here!"

"Alright Boss. " said Flint turning to leave and pointed to Amethyst. "Get those gems!"

Amethyst nodded and ran towards the glass casing, picking it up and running as the two rubies followed close behind. The creature saw them attempting to flee and reached for Pink Diamond, but she rolled out of the way as it came for her. The beast tried moving forward again but ripped through the top of the room, it was really starting to collapse now as the gem group neared the exit.

The creature's arm reached forward again but this time caught the purple quartz around the feet, causing her to trip and sending the glass container flying.

"Am!" Flint shouted turning back to help up her friend.

Pink saw Amethyst beginning to be dragged back but also saw as the glass container was about to shatter. "Flint! Catch the container!" she ordered.

Flint, in a split second looked from Amethyst and back to the glass, quickly diving for the glass and catching it before immediately throwing it to Pink Diamond. The young Diamond lurched forward as she attempted to catch the glass container, barely grasping it as it bounced between her outstretched palms. Flint had meanwhile dove for Amethyst's outstretched hand and had managed to catch it.

"Hold on!" she yelled as Amethyst tried to attack the grasping hand of the beast, to little effect. Pink quickly placed the glass container on the ground and pulled on Flint. "We got you Amethyst! Hold on!" The two rubies pulled on the back of Pink's boot in an attempt to help.

The purple quartz looked from her friends pulling her forward to the beast's great arm pulling her back. She then head a cracking sound from above, if they didn't get out of there… She summoned her mace, and smashed Flint's hand, causing the grey gem to recoil and let go. "AMETHYST!" she called out as Amethyst was dragged back into the dark.

The entire structure began to collapse and Pink was left with no choice. She grabbed Flint around the waist and scoped up the rubies in her other arm, giving the glass container to one of them, and ran down the hall as they beast bellowed behind them.

Yellow Diamond looked around herself as she felt the vibrations from below. She could feel the contraption loosen its grip and attempted to pull her arm out. The ceiling was beginning to collapse and the wall was crumbling was not enough. Yellow began to gather all the energy she had left, her hand surged with electricity and in one swift moment, she released it.

Pink heard an explosion coming from upstairs and the facility was falling down and apart faster and faster. The young Diamond reached the elevator shaft, putting down the gems and ripped off the roof of the elevator. Pink grabbed the gems again and jumped up as hard as she could. She burst through the roof as the building collapsed behind them.

The youngest Diamond placed the gems on the ground. Flint collapsed on the ground and the rubies stood nearby, one still holding the glass container.

The grey gem turned on her Diamond. "You left Amethyst behind! You left Yellow Diamond behind!"

Pink looked down to Flint. "You think I wanted to?!" she asked. "The whole place was collapsing! We barely got out of there!"

"Don't give me that! You should have done something! You're a Diamond!" Flint retorted. The rubies just glanced at each other in confusion, they didn't know what to make of what they were seeing, _no one_ talked to a Diamond this way, it was surreal.

Pink took a breath. "I know you're upset, and I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do."

Flint said nothing only gripped her Fists and relaxed them over and over. Pink cast her eyes downward, seeming sorrowful of the event. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, causing Flint to deeply sigh and run her hand through her hair.

The two rubies exchanged looks again and then one of them noticed something on the ground. "Hey! Look there!"

The group turned to look where the ruby was pointing. A pile of gems was piled up in the grass, Flint walked over to inspect them. She held one up, these they're our troops from the forest. She looked down on the pile quickly give them a once over. "None of them have been shattered, not even a scratch." She turned to the ruby with nothing in her hands. "Hey, take these back to our camp and be quick about it."

"Be sure to have troops sent back as well." Diamond added before they ran off.

Pink looked back down the shaft, now collapsed and filled with dirt. "I promise you Flint, we'll find her. Both Amethyst and Yellow. We'll dig and dig until we do."

They stood in silence for a while, mournfully looking down the hole.

The ground beneath them then began to tremble. Pink look to Flint and then down to the ground. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"

The creature then burst free from the ground, sending waves of dirt in all directions as it freed itself.

 _ **GAAAYAAAGHH!**_

Flint was ready for some payback, jumping right into action with her sword. It attempted to slam her to the ground with its paw but the grey gem leapt over it and ran up its arm, slashing all the way. It howled in pain and knocked her away.

Pink attempted to hold one of its arms down but was knocked away by the other. She needed a better way to fight back. Her mind quickly flashed back to the root…

She shot her arm forward, a single command to everything she could feel.

" _Bind."_

Vines from the forest shot down and roots from beneath began to quickly form all around the beast, restraining it as it fought back ferociously, getting even more angry and, now free having room to become even bigger.

Flint picked herself off the ground. "How are we supposed to fight this?"

"However we can." Came the distinct mature voice that Pink recognized very well. She turned to the beast's hole in the ground, seeing Yellow Diamond walking up and already looking exhausted.

"How long can you hold that thing?" she asked.

Pink watched as the beast fought back furiously against the binding. "I think only a minute more."

"Good, that's plenty of time." Yellow said raising an arm to the sky, Pink saw her other one looked scuffed and bruised, what had happened?

 _ **CRACK-A-BOOM**_

Pink looked skyward to see the clouds above start to darken even more, the wind began to howl loudly and the rain picked up. Pink looked to her elder sister and watched as she seemed to be controlling the clouds above them, moving her hand in a circular motion. Sparks danced on Yellow's fingers, faster and faster, the bolts also became thicker and sparked closer together. Finally with a flash of electricity a straight sword appeared in her hand.

Yellow continued to wave the sword in the air and the cloud rumbled louder and became darker. The elder Diamond turned to her sister. "Get away from here now!"

Pink didn't need to be told twice, picking up Flint again and managing to run behind a tree, watching as Yellow brought her sword down.

 _ **CREAAAAACKKK-A-BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Light from the sky shot down with a devastating force upon the creature. The sound was deafening, the light, blinding and even from behind the thick tree Pink could feel much of the impact from the blow.

Pink and Flint got from behind the tree to see what had happened. The entire area was scorched now, the faces of all the trees in the area were a coal black. She saw her sister standing relatively unharmed, having blocked most of the blast a patch of grass behind her remained untouched. The young Diamond then turned to the beast, only to see it scorched to its core. Its skin was blackened and the root and vine restraining it had been reduced to cinders or near enough as they blackened and crumbled away. Electricity still danced upon the beast's skin even as it stood motionless, before falling over on its face and in a massive poof, becoming no more.

Yellow dropped her sword and it bounced off the ground once before fading out of existence. Pink quickly rushed to her sister's side as she began to fall over, catching her before she hit the ground, supporting her by putting a shoulder under her sister's arm. "Yellow…" she said. "That was amazing."

Yellow gave a small, weak smile to her sister. "It… was nothing…" she said weakly. "Also, there's… something back there… that's yours…" she said pointing to the beast's hole.

Flint widened her eyes at this remark and immediately bounded over to it, looking down into the hole and looking overcome with simultaneous and equal amounts of shock and joy.

Amethyst weakly walked out from the hole and gave a small wave to Flint as she stared in silent disbelief. "Hey."

The grey gem embraced her roughly and the purple quartz returned the embrace, tears welled up inside Flint's eyes. "I thought you we lost you."

Amethyst gave a toothy grin, tears also beginning to form in her own eyes. "Can't get rid of me that easily."

Just then troops started pouring in from the tree line, looking over the damage with astonishment. One of them, an agate, stepped up and addressed the two Diamonds. "My, Diamonds, what happened?"

Yellow got off from Pink's shoulder, attempting to look as refined and authoritative as she could, despite her clearly haggard appearance. "Pack everything up, it's time to leave this planet." She ordered.

The agate nodded, turning to give orders to the rest of the gem s gathered. "You heard her! Move out!" With that the gems left to do their duty.

Once they left, Yellow allowed herself to sag, she was exhausted, more so then she had been in thousands of years. Pink rushed forward to catch her sister again but Yellow waved her off. "I'll be fine Pink. I just… need some time…" with that she slowly walked off towards the base camp.

The young Diamond watched her sister leave before looking to where the creature had fallen. She walked over to the crater left by the beast's impact with the ground and saw something shining on the ground. Pink picked it from the ground and looked at it curiously, it wasn't like anything she'd ever seen. She'd been expecting some sort of giant gem to have spawned the creature, but she was only half right. What she held now was a ball of clustered gems that had somehow been stuck together, it was the size of her fist. It was the largest "gem" she'd ever seen. She bubbled it before making her way over to Flint and Amethyst.

The grey and purple quartzes broke their embrace as Pink neared, carrying the gem. Flint pointed to it. "Is that…?"

The young Diamond nodded. "Yes."

"It's giant." Amethyst said looking at the stone. "And why does it look so…"

"Strange?" Pink finished as Amethyst nodded. "I don't know, but we're going to find out."

* * *

 _Meanwhile near the system's sun…_

* * *

The captain of the sleek ship wiped her brow. The payload was finally ready to be deployed properly. She initiated the launch sequence and the payload shot from out the ship and into the sun's core. She quickly typed coordinates into her ship's navigation computer and sped off into hyperspace.

* * *

Pink walked back and saw her sister watching over the gems packing up their equipment. Yellow turned to her youngest sister and saw the object Pink was carrying. "Is that it?" she asked. Pink nodded and Yellow turned to look at one of the gems packing up. "You!" she said, the gem, a peridot, stopped in her tracks and looked to Yellow Diamond. "Take this to my R&D station in my ship." She said pointing to the gem cluster.

"As you say, my Diamond." She answered back, holding out her hands. Pink looked to Yellow Diamond for a moment before placing the gem upon the little peridot's back. She struggled for a moment before straightening up and carrying it onto the ship, the bubble looking massive in her small hands.

Yellow turned to her sister. "Maybe now we can get some clue as to what these rogue gems are up to, exactly."

Amethyst then seemed to remember something. "That reminds me…" she said reaching into her pocket and pulling out a smooth black stone and held it up for the Diamonds to see.

Yellow peered down at it. "Is that...?"

Pink's face brightened. "Amethyst, that's amazing!"

The purple quartz blushed and sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. Yellow reached down and plucked the small black stone from her hand. "I'll be sure to see to this one, myself."

"I want to be there too, I have some questions for her." Pink said, the elder Diamond looked to her sister and gave a single nod.

Just then, the light from the sun began to brighten gradually, everyone looked to the sky as this happened. Pink gave a look of confusion. "What is that?"

Yellow's eyes narrowed before suddenly widening. She pushed her younger sister to the ground and clapped her hands together, electricity dancing between her palms. She then quickly aimed them at the air and electricity shot out and rained form the sky, creating an electric dome field.

"Yellow, what are you-?" Pink began until she felt a massive wave of electricity pass over them. Yellow then ceased her dome and for a minute nothing seemed to have happened. But then she looked to the sky, dropships that had been fully functioning and in the air began to drop from the sky. Some in the higher atmosphere even began to burn up as they reentered it.

The most of the drop ships landed a good distance away Yellow turned to one of the quartzes who'd been standing around. "You!" she ordered. "Get me communications now! I want to know the status of our ships."

"Right away, my Diamond." She responded.

Pink looked towards the sky then to her sister. "What was that?"

"A massive solar flare." Yellow explained. "I could feel the massive electrical field before it got here and managed to negate its effect on this ship." She said motioning to their own much more massive conventional ship. "But those other ships, their systems were destroyed. And without those…" she clenched her fist. "That was supposed to happen a year from now, how did it happen so early?"

The quartz from before then showed up, saluting. "My Diamond! We've lost communications with all ships in this system."

Yellow sighed. "I was afraid of that. Have recovery teams sent out to salvage the ships and survivors that crashed here." She ordered.

"We should try and contact White and Blue, we could use their help." Pink added.

Yellow nodded. "Hopefully their luck's been significantly better than ours."

* * *

The sleek ship dropped from hyperspace again. The captain pinched the bridge of her nose and pressed a few buttons on her communications console. The red face of her friend, Zircon. "Diopside is gone and I think Onyx is too." Spinel said, sadness evident in her voice. "It's just you and me now. They'll be closing in on us now, scuttle your facility and take what you can then meet back up with me." The red gem nodded and communications were cut.

* * *

Blue and her ships searched around the asteroid field that was once a planet with fervor. White had managed to save all the ships, but as for herself…

They had been at this for hours now, the chunks were many and the field that had once been a planet was now massive, it was like looking for a single stone on an entire beach. "My Diamond…" one of the quartzes began as she approached Blue. "It may be that… there's simply nothing to-"

Blue glared at the gem and she instantly silenced. "We stop when we find White Diamond, not before."

"I think we have something!" one of the gems at the scanner announced.

"Where?" Blue asked.

"Just a little father." She said, pointing to one of the massive former-planet chunks on screen. "There's something behind that."

The ship quickly maneuvered and Blue stood from her seat as she beheld what appeared on screen. "No…" she said a single tear escaping her eye.

* * *

Yellow and Pink stood in the communications room, waiting on the return call from their sister. Finally, they were able to get a signal through and Blue's visage was instantly shown to the two of them.

"Blue!" pink said, relieved. "I am so glad to see you safe."

Blue smiled, small and wearily to her younger sister. "As am I to see you safe, my sister." She replied.

"Blue, we need you to hurry over to our system, most of our ships have been critically damaged and we need your help." Yellow said.

Blue nodded on screen. "I'm on my way, there's something the both of you need to see." She said before looking to her side, where inside a suspended field of light, a large white gem bobbed up and down.

* * *

 **Done. There you go. Please review.**


	13. Ch 13: Truth

**Chapter 13… nothing rhymes with that.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Truth

Pink Diamond's face was contorted into a mixture of shock and confusion, Yellow's seemed calm but her eyes narrowed and a single hand covered her mouth.

Blue said nothing, her face calm outside of a single frown seen beneath her hood.

"No, that can't be true." Pink said slowly, taking a single step towards Blue. "You must be mistaken, or joking, right?!" Pink said a bit too quickly, her anxiety clearly showing.

Blue said nothing, her frown only deepening. Pink reached forward and grabbed her sister's shoulders. "Tell me you're wrong! Tell me!" The young Diamond pleaded, her eyes beginning to well up.

Yellow reached for her youngest sister's shoulder a placed a firm grip on it. "Pink… enough." Pink let go of Blue's shoulder and the elder Diamond addressed her sister. "Blue, take us to her."

Blue silently motioned for them to follow her. The three made their way through the hallway of White's flagship, now in Blue's command, until they finally stopped at the end of a hallway. "I had them clear out the entire room, no one is allowed inside except us." Blue informed as she reached the door, placing her hand on the door's pad.

It opened with a whoosh and the three stepped inside as the door closed behind them. It was a bright, white, round room, there were no features to speak of except in the center where, inside a suspended field of light, a sizeable white gem bobbed silently.

Pink and Yellow stepped forward to examine the gem closely. There was a slim, long, ugly crack running up one of the sides but other than that, there was no mistake.

This was their eldest sister.

Pink collapsed to her knees, a hand over her mouth as she began to sob. Yellow's fists balled up and shook, her face keeping calm aside from the narrowing of her eyes. "How?" she asked through clenched teeth, not turning to face Blue who only continued to frown.

"One of the rogue gems. She upset the tectonics of the planet and caused it to explode." Blue explained quietly as Pink continued her muffled sobs. "White tried to save the fleet… tried to save me… from its explosion, but was caught in its blast."

Yellow sighed deeply, her balled fists going limp before she reached up and rubbed her eyes with her arm. She then walked over to Pink, still on the ground. Yellow reached for her but Pink shrugged away. "Pink, let's go."

Blue spoke up. "Yellow… give her some time."

"Time?" Yellow repeated. "What time do you think we have? Those rogue gems are still out there and the longer we wait, the longer they have to prepare."

Pink turned to her sister. "But White… she's…"

 _ **SMACK**_

Yellow slapped her youngest sister across the face, shocking the young Diamond and even causing Blue to suddenly jolt at the action. "White's not here Pink. Get ahold of yourself." With that Yellow stormed out of the room.

Blue watched their elder sister leave as Pink slowly reached up to her cheek, feeling more of a sting from her sister's sudden and cruel action towards her than of the slap itself. The older Diamond walked slowly over to her younger sister. Pink peered up to Blue as Blue looked down sorrowfully to Pink.

"She… slapped… me…" Pink said the words slowly. "Why…?"

Blue knelt down to her sister. "We all deal with… grief… in our own ways Pink. Yellow's just… trying to adjust. She's feeling frustrated and doesn't known what to do with herself. You did nothing wrong."

Pink pulled on Blue's robes allowing her hood to fall and for Pink to see her sister's face fully. Water was welling up in her pristine sapphire eyes. "I just… I just can't…" Pink started and stopped in heaving sighs.

Blue put her arms around her sister and rocked back and forth. "Shhh… I know… I know…"

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Pink and Blue entered the command bridge to see their sister at the ship's command console dolling out orders to everyone and anyone she could. She turned around to see her sisters and addressed them. "Good, you're here. I could use the help organizing our next move."

"So, what's our status?" Blue asked.

Yellow shook her head. "Better than I feared, but worse than I'd hoped." She said. "Half of our fleet's ship are little more than scrap now. I've sent for more from Homeworld but even if they get here it'll be less than half of what we lost."

"How many gems did we lose?" Pink asked.

"Most, either close to the ground or in space survived without damage, those too close to the upper atmosphere however were lost." The elder gem explained.

"How many?" Pink asked again.

Yellow sighed. "About 2,000 gems were shattered in entirety and about 4,500 more suffered cracks or chips in their gems."

"How long will it take before we're able to move?" Blue asked.

"At this rate?" Yellow asked. "We won't be able to move as an entire fleet for about three days."

Blue scowled. "That's too much time! Those rogue gems could be preparing their next attack or-!"

"You think I don't know that?!" Yellow said a bit too loudly as she pounded her fist on the command console in front of her. The elder Diamond took a deep breath. "White was right. I underestimated the enemy and it cost us…" she said slowly, sorrow evident in her voice. "…but if anyone should have paid it, it should have been me… not her."

The younger Diamonds exchanged looks before staring back at their sister. "Yellow, it's not your fault." Pink started solemnly.

"Then whose is it?" Yellow practically spat back at her. "I was the one who wanted to split our forces in the first place. If we'd moved as one, if I'd been there…" she trailed off. "If I had it my way, White might not have been the only one to get hurt, and I could never forgive myself if anything happened to either of you."

Pink felt herself choke up a bit and even Blue's normal serene calm was broken by their sister's words. They both knew Yellow was serious and a bit abrasive but it meant the universe to the both of them that, underneath it all, their sister cared deeply for each of them.

Yellow looked away. "It's the same reason I won't forgive myself for what happened to White."

Blue sighed. "I'll go see to the gems under me and… under White." She said before walking off.

Pink wanted to say something, anything, but the words would not come, she turned to leave but Yelow's voice caught her attention. "Pink… I'm sorry for… before…"

"It was nothing Yellow. Forget it." Pink said before she left.

* * *

 _Later…_

* * *

Pink found herself sitting alone in the rain, deep in the forest. She felt listless, lifeless, the rain pouring on her the only feeling other than her abject sorrow. But she didn't cry, didn't do much of anything really. She'd never been much for the orders and Yellow and Blue seemed to have it well taken care of anyways, so here she was. Sitting by herself, in the rain, deep in the forest.

"My Diamond?" came a voice Pink recognized but did not turn to greet.

"Hello Pearl." She said, quietly. "Come to check up on me?"

"I heard what happened, I'm so sorry." Pearl said, stepping around the young Diamond's seated form to come into her field of view.

Pink shook her head. "You don't have anything to apologize for Pearl. It's not your fault. It's not any of our faults."

"If I may ask, what are you doing out here?"

Pink looked up to the sky. "Just enjoying the weather, I suppose. And the organics."

Pearl gave a small confused look at this. "Organics, my Diamond?"

Pink pointed to one of the trees. "Yes, I guess it's my 'power'. Yellow has her electricity, Blue has water, White had light and me? I can talk to these non-moving, non-speaking organics. Watch." With that she whipped her hand forward and then shot up. A root poked through the ground and waved at Pearl.

The pink gem was astonished. "My Diamond! That's incredible!" she said.

Pink didn't respond to Pearl's enthusiasm. "Think so?" she asked listlessly.

The skinny gem frowned, it pained her to see her Diamond this way. "I'll always be here for you, my Diamond. If you need someone to talk to."

Pink didn't respond at first but eventually a small, sad, smile grew on her lips as she gazed up into the sky. "I… never really liked Homeworld." Pearl gave a quizzical look at her Diamond for the comment but said nothing as Pink went on. "Not that there was anything wrong with it, or anything. It's just… I was there for so long and I wanted to leave… to see the cosmos. But White, she always said no, always lectured me on dangers or would show me how little I knew with her little quizzes." She turned to the ground, a stream of tears coming down. "It's only now I see how hard she tried to protect me, protect all of us. Now she's gone and I may never have the chance to tell her…" she paused as a sob started to overtake her. "…to tell her how much she meant to me."

Pearl walked nearer and embraced her Diamond's arm with a firm hug. "My Diamond, I have watched you for nearly all your life. You are strong and intelligent and kind. But if there was anyone in all the galaxy that knew that truth better than me, it was your eldest sister. She loved you dearly."

Pink fully broke down just then, leaning over Pearl and causing the smaller gem to be completely engulfed in her form as streams of tears gushed forth. Pearl patiently consoled her before Pink finally gathered herself and sat upright, her cheeks still stained with tears but a genuine smile upon her face. "Thank you Pearl, I really needed that."

The pink gem smiled. "As always my Diamond. It is a pleasure to be a service to you." She then went on. "Truthfully my Diamond, I was sent out here for a reason, Yellow Diamond sent me."

"Oh? What for?" she asked, her mood having improved enough to be curious.

"The gem you captured, her physical form has restored." She informed.

* * *

Pink rushed through the corridor to the entrance of the ship's holding cells, Pearl following close behind. She entered to see Yellow and Blue waiting there for her, their own pearls in tow. "Is it true?"

"She's in there right now, fully formed." Yellow confirmed. "She looked down to the pearls. "You two stay here with Pink Diamond's pearl."

The two of them nodded and Pearl looked up to Pink before she nodded once. "I'll be back before you know it." With that Pink and her sisters walked down the hallway all the way to the back. They'd placed her in the most secure cell they had, an open room where two quartzes watched her while Onyx sat cross-legged in the center of the room, surrounded by a field of light leaving her little room to move.

Onyx's head jerked up as the doors opened. The quartzes at the door saluted and Yellow dismissed them, leaving the three Diamonds alone with the rogue gem.

"So, finally come to see me." She said, her tone was even and unwavering, whatever she was feeling at this moment it wasn't fear.

"So, you call yourself 'Onyx' is that right?" Yellow said addressing the gem.

The grey gem smiled wide and toothy, it annoyed Yellow how the gem in front of them insulted them with her indifference at her situation. She didn't respect the Diamond name at all. She didn't even show respect to the fact that they could shatter her if they wished.

"That's my name, yes." She answered.

"What are you planning?" Blue demanded.

"'Planning'?" she repeated as if testing out the word for the first time. "Nothing in particular, just the total destruction of the Diamond authority." She rocked back and forth on her butt as she spoke. "Speaking of which… where is White Diamond? I was… expecting… to see her."

The three Diamonds all stayed silent. "What is it?" Onyx asked, a look of curiosity on her face. Suddenly the grin spread from ear to ear. "No way, you mean…? One of us got her?!" she had stopped rocking, now leaning forward with interest. She took their silence as confirmation and jumped to her feet raising her hands in the air. "HAHAHAHA! Amazing! I mean we always talked about it… but to actually do it?! HA!"

The three Diamonds all took on different looks as the gem continued her little celebration.

The youngest looked to the floor, a sorrow written upon her face. The gem before them was _ecstatic_ at the prospect of a destroyed Diamond. She had thought herself liked well enough by her closest friends but did other gems really think of her this way? Did they really hate Diamonds so much? Hate _her_ so much?

Blue was different. She was well accustomed to respect and admiration from the lesser gems, but this one was openly mocking them and celebrating the destruction of their eldest sister. She began to seethe with a rage that slowly began to build the longer she looked.

Yellow said nothing, her face was surprisingly calm given Onyx's gloating. She only stuck a single hand out and a shot of electricity rocketed from her palm into the light field, spreading out before quickly finding an outlet in Onyx who yelped at the sudden surge of energy.

The grey-gem stopped then, letting her facial features relax and giving an ambivalent look. "Sheesh, touchy." She said painedly, rubbing her back where the most serious damage had been done.

"Enough with the games!" Blue barked, taking a single aggressive step closer. "Tell us what we want to know!"

Yellow stuck out an arm across her sister's chest. "Blue, that's enough." She returned her attention to the rogue gem. "What's your number?"

"Don't have one." She replied smoothly.

"You must have been popped somewhere." Pink said softly, attempting to be as diplomatic as she could.

"Indeed." Blue concurred. "Though I've never even heard of an 'Onyx" type gem before."

"Neither have I." Pink added.

The grey gem crossed her arms. "You don't get it. I don't have an identification number because I don't _need_ one. There are no others like me. I am the one and only 'Onyx', no need for a number to set me apart from anyone." She replied looking to the youngest Diamond.

"Did the rogue gems create you? Is that why they needed the primordial gel?" Yellow asked.

Onyx raised a single eyebrow at this. "Is that what you think? You still haven't realized it?"

The Diamonds exchanged confused looks with each other before looking back down to their prisoner. "Realized what?" Yellow asked, probing for more.

"I am, or should I say _was_ White Diamond's gem." She explained. "But think about this… why would she create a gem that could shift her form into any other gem's appearance?

A slow realization came over her elder sisters, but Pink still didn't understand what the rogue gem was getting at. Onyx grinned gloatingly. "That's right. She sent me to spy on you."

Pink's eyes widened with shock. The implications of the rogue gem's words hitting her. "That's a lie!" Blue accused.

Onyx look to the middle Diamond with a straight face. "Is it now?"

"It can't be true. She'd never-" Pink started.

"Never _what_?" The rogue gem asked mockingly. "Never spy on you because you all trust each other?" She sighed. "I knew you were naïve but this is borderline denial."

"And why would she have you do that?" Yellow asked.

"You _know_ why she asked me to do that." The rogue gem retorted.

The elder Diamonds both grimaced at that but Pink looked from one sister to the other with confused and hurt look. "What is she talking about?"

"Do I really have to spell this out for you?" Onyx asked skeptically. "You dear sisters here have been keeping secrets from each other and plotting against each other for some time, probably even long before I started spying on them."

Pink looked from the rogue gem to her sisters who were both looking away from her and each other. "Is… that true?"

Yellow only sighed. "We're not here to talk about us… we're here to talk about her." She said pointing a finger to the imprisoned gem.

The young Diamond's confusion quickly turned to anger. "What is she talking about? What have you two done?!"

"Calm yourself Pink, there will be time to discuss this later in private." Blue said, attempting to assuage her sister.

Onyx gave a small chuckle. "Heh heh heh. Look at the mighty Diamond Authority, so broken, so pathetic. Some leaders you are."

Blue snarled. "Shut your mouth!"

The grey gem shrugged. "Anyways after I confirmed White Diamond's suspicions she began to make… contingencies for your eventual betrayal of her."

"What kind of contingencies?" The eldest Diamond demanded.

"I haven't a clue. I got fed up with all the inter-Diamond intrigue and I left. Easy enough when you can look like anyone." Onyx said continuing her story. "I hopped from colony world to colony world, doing whatever and being whomever I wanted. That is, until I met the gem with a plan, a plan to free all gems by destroying the authority." Onyx finished. "Which brings us pretty much up to date."

"What about that monster you were with, back in the facility?" Pink asked.

"Why ask me? Blue Diamond knows all about it." The grey gem said motioning to her. "A tag-along from one of my spying incursions against her."

Pink looked to her sister. "Blue?" Her sister said nothing but then Pink turned to Onyx again. "And the corruption? What is it? How does it work?"

"The handiwork of your _other_ sister." She replied smoothly.

This time both Blue and Pink stared at Yellow. "It can't be." Blue said slowly. Pik just stared at Yellow in a shocked silence but Yellow ignored their gazes and addressed Onyx. "What about the rest of the rogue gems?"

"They came from all over the Empire, all being fed up with your inept leadership for one reason or another. But there's never been more than a handful of us, and even now our numbers are dwindling." She answered. "We were actually waiting to strike, hoping to gather more power or more like-minded gems before we acted, but then you found out about us and well, here we are."

"You seem to be giving us all this information for away pretty easily." Yellow noted.

"Does it matter?" Onyx asked. "My history is hardly what I'd call strategically important. And you already know where we are, otherwise you'd have asked me that right away. In fact, the only thing of any real significance I've revealed is that me and my friends don't really even need to do anything to destroy the Diamond authority, you do it so well all on your own." She finished mockingly.

"Enough. It's clear we won't gain anything continuing this." Yellow said turning to the door. Blue glared at the rogue gem but quickly followed behind.

Pink looked to the gem and then to her sisters. "Are you coming?" Yellow asked.

"I'll be along in a second." Pink replied. With that the two elder Diamonds left and Pink was alone with Onyx.

"Is what you said true?" Pink asked.

"You saw how they reacted, you tell me." The grey gem replied.

Pink gave a hard look to the gem but she returned it with a disapproving glare. Pink turned to leave but the rogue gem caught her ear as she reached the door. "Some advice? Don't trust your sisters, they're not who you think they are."

The young Diamond soon found herself back in the command center as but her sisters were nowhere to be seen. She walked over to one gem and asked her where they were the gem informed her of her sisters' current location and the young Diamond walked off to meet with them.

* * *

 _Later in White's private room…_

* * *

Pink walked in on what seemed to be Yellow and Blue in the middle of a heated argument.

"I can't believe that thing down there was yours?!" came the accusatory tone of her elder sister. "Why did you never tell us about something like that?"

"The facility where it was being kept was destroyed! I thought it had perished along with everything else!" Blue answered back in an equally heated voice.

They turned to Pink as she entered the room. "Blue… Yellow…" came Pink's voice, now soft and demure. "I think we need to talk, openly, about everything."

Both her sisters clamed up neither too eager to speak. Blue then turned her gaze to the floor. "She was right. The beast you saw from before, was a creation of mine." She began to pace around the room. "Pink you weren't around at the time but, thousands of years ago, there was a time when new gems… they weren't forming with the same quality as they had done before. Many were popped out with brittle gems or were dysfunctional in some way. So, I gathered up shards of previously shattered gems and began to do… experiments, to see if I couldn't do something with them."

Her frown deepened. "In the end though, all I made were abominations. They lacked a full consciousness and lashed out wildly. Shortly after, White approached me and asked me about them. I had no idea how she'd found out but she told me I had to stop. With little to gain in continuing my experiment I agreed. I had the facility where the gem-shard creatures were being made destroyed, and I haven't heard anything about them, until now." She stopped looking to each of her sisters. "That 'Onyx' she must have been the one to inform White, and she must have known about the facility too, managing to salvage something from it."

A vivid image of the many-limbed beast came back to Pink's head as she looked with shock to Blue. "That _thing_ that was your doing?"

Blue nodded solemnly and then the two younger Diamonds then turned to Yellow who took a deep sigh. "It was… shortly after we'd finally been able to leave Homeworld, after we'd started making colonies. Some gems felt they could, lead themselves well enough on their own, White Diamond and I disagreed. We crushed them swiftly but we became aware that it may happen again in the future, that some may challenge our rule. White wanted to make drastic reforms, make Diamonds lesser, closer to gems so that they'd be less inclined to rebel against us. I convinced her, for the most part, to hold off, I told her that I had begun work on something that would make sure the masses would never rebel against us again." She narrowed her eyes and cast her gaze to the floor. "I had a device made that would destroy the individuality of a gem, make them entirely compliant to orders. When I thought I had it perfected, I presented it to White Diamond. She was hesitant at first, but once again I managed to convince her and demonstrated its effectiveness on a gem." Her face became increasingly grim as she recounted.

"At first, it seemed to work. The gem didn't know anything outside of following orders, she had no memory, as if she'd just been popped." Yellow shook her head. "But then she started changing… turning monstrous… corrupted. We shattered the beast and White forced me to stop all my work. But… I couldn't just let all that research go to waste so instead of throwing it away I had it sealed and it remained that way for thousands of years, until I tried again. White found out what I had been doing and confronted me again. I argued that I could do it this time, I could fix what went wrong, but she would hear none of it. She destroyed my work and forbade me from touching it again." She looked to her younger sisters. "Now, I fear that work has gotten out and I have no idea what may come of it." She finished.

To say that Pink had been surprised that the monster she'd fought had come from Blue would be an understatement. But what Yellow had just said made her stop dead in her tracks, even Blue had stopped to turn to her sister in astonishment.

"The corruption? It was you? It was your fault?" Pink asked.

Yellow said nothing only gave a single nod as Pink began to pace the room and process her two sister's admissions. "It happened long before you were around and White didn't want you, either of you, to…"

"To what? To know that our sister, a Diamond, is responsible for the creation of our only known disease?" Blue asked.

"I never meant for it to happen like that!" Yellow shouted. "I was trying to secure out Empire's dominance!"

"Ha! And you always talked about White holding us back! Keeping things from us!" Blue countered. "Could you be more hypocritical?!"

"It's not that-!"

"Enough!" Pink shouted gaining their attention then looked from one sister to the other and back again. "Is this what it means to be part of the Diamond Authority? To bicker and scheme behind each other's backs?" Both her sisters seemed shocked by the young Diamond's sudden outburst. "If this is how it is, how it _really_ is being a leader of the gems, then I want no part of it!" With that she stormed out of the room and left the two elder Diamonds alone again.

However, when they were alone together, this time they did not shout at each other, or argue, they barely said a word as a feeling washed over them. It was one neither had felt in a very long time.

Shame.

The two remaining sisters slowly turned towards each other. Yellow's frown then turned upwards into a bittersweet smile. "She… reminds me so much of White, thousands of years ago."

Blue shook her head. "She's young, and unspeakably naïve, but there's truth in what she says. I haven't been humbled like that since the last time White scolded me."

Yellow only nodded, solemnly and with great remorse.

Blue then chuckled mirthlessly. "Yellow… what are we going to do?"

* * *

Pink had stomped out of the room and she walked down the hallway in a huff, she felt aimless but soon enough she found herself standing in front of the room where White Diamond's gem was being held. She entered it and closed the door behind her, staring in silence at the floating White gem before her.

"This is all your fault." She started, letting some of her frustration finally release, balling her fists up and stomping closer to the gem, now close enough to grab it. "All these secrets, all these _lies_! But not from you! No! Never from White Diamond! She knows everything! She decides who gets to know what! White Diamond knows best!" Her frustration and anger surged and she finally took a swipe at it and knocked it from the light. It bounced off the floor and slid into the wall to her left. Pink looked at it and then fell to her knees helplessly and began to heave her heavy sobs, somewhat echoing in the small room.

What were these tears for? Her frustration of being kept in the dark for so long, the lack of any real trust between her and her sisters despite the illusion of unity and equality. They were for the fact that rebellious gems who appeared to threaten their way of life had only done so with the same weapons the Diamonds themselves had devised. Not only that but the bitter fact that these gems might even be in the right, and the Diamonds may be the monsters they thought they were. But most of all, she cried because the one gem who might alleviate any of the pain Pink was now feeling was lying inert only a few feet away. So she cried, bitterly and quietly, she cried.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

Spinel looked up to the sky and watched as a ship made its way through the atmosphere. It landed a few meters away from her and Zircon was soon climbing down the boarding ramp. "Do you have everything?" she asked. Zircon gave a thumbs up and Spinel nodded. "Good. They'll be coming soon and we have a lot of work to do before they get here."

* * *

 **Done. Please review.**


	14. Ch 14: Trust

**Chapter 14… still no rhyme.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 14: Trust

Peridot didn't know what was going on.

Days had gone by and what ships Homeworld had been able to spare had been there since yesterday. From what she'd heard they were nearly ready to go and search for the last pockets of resistance from these so called "rogue gems" but other than that? Nothing.

She hadn't heard from anyone she knew for days now. Flint and Amethyst were usually with other quartzes having bouts of strength or talking military strategy, two things she had very little interest in. Pearl and her Diamond though? She hadn't even seen them since the capture of that rogue gem. She had mostly preoccupied her time filing away reports and analyzing technical data, but that was something anyone like her could have done.

She'd seen Amethyst hours ago and asked her about it. The purple quartz offered little help, saying how Pink Diamond had really just wanted to be alone. Peridot found this odd, what could have caused that? Her Diamond had always been… strange, but this was strange for _her_. She was cheerful and upbeat and kind, to be wanting seclusion? Something was up and after endlessly and, for the most part, pointlessly filing away reports she'd had enough. She walked off from the console she'd been working at and went off to find someone she knew.

As it turns out it wasn't all that hard.

Amathyst happened to be walking down one of the corridors Peridot had just turned on to and called out to her. "Hey!"

The purple quartz looked over to her and waved back. "Yo!" she said.

The green gem talked as she walked. "I was looking for you."

"Well, you found me." The quartz replied as she looked down to the smaller gem, a little over half her size.

"Where's Flint?" asked Peridot.

"She's sparring with some other quartzes, why?" Amethyst asked curiously.

"I think it's time we had a talk with our Diamond, something's not right, I've never seen her act this way." Peridot said.

The purple gem frowned at that. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm getting a bad feeling about it too."

"We should get Flint and see what's troubling her." The green gem suggested.

Amethyst nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'll go get Flint, meet you outside Pink's place. What about Pearl though?"

"If I know her, she's probably by her side right now. Which is all the more reason we should be there, to help her with whatever problems she's trying to help Pink Diamond through." With that she and Peridot parted ways.

* * *

The green gem was anxiously pacing in front of Pink Diamond's door. She had considered knocking and entering by herself, but in truth she wanted the backup and safety net of her friends. She looked up and saw the pair of soldiers striding towards her.

"Have you gone in yet?" Flint asked as she approached.

"I haven't even rung for entry." Peridot admitted. "I was waiting for you guys to get here."

Flint moved passed her and banged heavily on the large metal door, causing it to echo somewhat through the halls with each hit.

The doors slowly slid open but only partially and out stepped earl from inside. She looked at the three of them with a frown. "Oh, it's you guys." She said softly.

Peridot stepped up. "Don't 'Oh, it's you guys' us!" she said, a little mad about the effortless greeting. "Where have you been? Where's Pink Diamond!"

Pearl held up her hand. "Shhh!" she said. She looked back for a moment, but then quickly turned back around to them. "Please, you must be quiet, she's been a bit… off as of late."

"Why?" Amethyst asked, stepping closer. "What happened?"

Pearl shook her head. "It's not for me to say."

Flint was starting to get angry now. "What's that supposed to mean? You aren't going to tell us?"

The pink-ish gem shook her head again. "It's not my place to tell you. But if you really want to know, talk to the prisoner. "She turned back around quickly and then back to them. "I got to go, please she just needs some time to herself." With that the doors slammed shut, an audible click heard as the doors sealed themselves.

"How completely unhelpful." Peridot said flatly.

"Not completely." Flint corrected. "C'mon if we're not getting answers here, maybe it's time for some answers."

* * *

The three entered the room where Onyx sat cross-legged behind the wall of light. Flint greeted the two quartzes present as they passed by. The rogue gem opened a single eye at the sound of the door opening and saw the motley crew coming towards her. She raised a single brow at this but her face remained otherwise impassive.

"So, who are you, I wonder." She said in a playful tone. "Is it time for another interrogation?"

"Something like that." Flint answered.

"Oh, well then, don't let me stop you. Go for it. Not like you could do really do otherwise, right?" asked Onyx, her voice entwined with the kind of smug that comes from knowing something others don't.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Amethyst, taking an aggressive step forward.

"Exactly what it sounds like." The rogue gem replied nonchalantly. "You're just good little soldiers in the service of the Diamonds'. I don't hold it against you."

"We're not here for torture." Peridot spoke up.

The grey gem turned to her, eyeing her curiously. "What's she doing here anyhow? Aren't you some kind of technician gem? What're you doing here with these thugs?"

Flint was about to speak up but Peridot did so first. "These 'thugs' are my friends."

Onyx's features became o a look of somewhere between surprise and what Peridot could have sworn was joy, maybe excitement? "Really?" she asked. "You guys are getting me more interested by the minute." She scratched her chin then snapped her fingers. "I got it. I remember you now! You two were there when the Diamonds assaulted my base."

"Speaking of Diamonds, we're here to talk about one." Said the purple quartz attempting to steer the conversation back on course.

The rogue gem eyed them for a moment scratching her chin as her eyes darted from one gem to the next. "Ah, now I get it. This is about Pink Diamond, isn't it?"

The three gems each had varying levels of surprise written on their faces before Flint spoke up. "How-?"

"Well, neither that prude Yellow Diamond nor that stuck-up Blue Diamond could have such loyalty from their gems, no, not like this." Onyx suddenly gave thee grin again as she continued to speak. "No, it must be that touchy-feely Diamond, Pink."

This time Flint was the one to step forward stopping just before the light as she narrowed her eyes to the smug gem staring back. "What did you do to her?"

"Me?" asked Onyx. "Nothing at all. She and the other Diamonds asked questions and I answered," The grin got wider. "Though from what I could tell, I bet they wished they hadn't."

"Quit stalling! What did you say?!" Flint barked.

"Truth and nothing but." The rogue gem answered curtly. The three said nothing, expecting elaboration so Onyx did so. "They asked about who I was, or more to the point _what_ I was. So I told them, I'm an infiltrator, a spy."

"You just told them that you're, a spy?" Peridot asked skeptically. "What are the odds of a spying outing herself so easily?"

"Not as much as bad you think, if you ask right." The rogue gem replied in a voice eerily similar to the green gem's.

The three once again took on various looks of surprise. "Woah… that was pretty good. Do me next."

"Not a problem." Onyx said now imitating the purple quartz.

Flint slapped Amethyst upside the head. "Knock it off. Why would you being a spy upset Pink Diamond?" she asked.

"Because of whom I was spying _for_." Onyx clarified. "Namely, White Diamond."

"You spied for White Diamond?" Flint asked, to which Onyx nodded. "Why?"

"She suspected the other Diamonds may be doing things she wouldn't approve of, so she had me made, had me infiltrate the high ranks of both Blue Diamond's and Yellow Diamond's armies, which wasn't easy let me tell ya. And as it turns out, she was right."

"So, what are you saying?" Amethyst asked.

"I'm saying that, bottom line? The Diamonds aren't the unified force they want you to believe. Heh. In fact if I didn't know better I'd say Yellow was planning to-"

"Enough!" Flint said, smashing her boot into the ground and causing a loud thud form the metal in response.

Onyx shrugged. "Honestly? Pink Diamond seemed like a nice enough gem, for a Diamond. But taking the news that her supposed sisters were hiding some big secrets from her? That couldn't have felt good." This time the grin went away, leaving only a frown. "She's probably holed up somewhere trying to make sense of it all."

A realization washed over the three gems, something noticed by Onyx as she watched their faces shift nearly-imperceptively.

"So, now that I've answered your questions why don't you answer some of mine." The rogue gem proposed.

Flint considered leaving with Amethyst and Peridot right then and there. They had what they needed after all, yet something was telling her to stay, to hear this gem out. "What is it?"

"Well, you see, I was wondering why you're here." Onyx started. "See, doing something like this? It's way beyond your station. So why? Why do you care so much?"

"Because she's our friend." Amethyst replied honestly. The other two nodded in agreement.

The rogue gem's eyes widened a bit at that, then softened, her grin returning. "I see. Maybe this'll sound odd, coming from me, but… I hope you're right about her." With that she sat back down and closed her eyes, resuming her first position.

The three left the interrogation chamber and Peridot looked to Flint. "So, what do you think?"

"I don't think she lied to us." Amethyst said, adding her two cents.

"Oddly enough, neither do I." said Flint as they began to walk the corridor. "But that just leaves us with another question, what do we do now?"

"What can we do now?" The green gem asked. "Think about it, if the Diamonds really are infighting it's not like we can really do anything about it."

Flint balled her fists up at that thought. Peridot was right, they were part of Pink Diamond's legions she was supposed to protect and serve her Diamond… but now it might be against _another_ Diamond? Could she do it? "The best we can do is be there for her right now."

"Just wait and hope for the best." Amethyst clarified before sighing. "Should we go try and talk to her then?" The other two nodded and off they went.

* * *

They were once again standing in front of the closed door and Flint knocked.

Silence followed the knock until the doors slowly slid open and Pearl was once again standing before them. "Yes?" she asked.

"We know what happened." The grey gem said pointedly.

Pearl nodded. "I see. Please come in." she invited as the doors opened fully.

The three stepped in, revealing a large pink-hued room, missing it's pink-hued owner. "Where is Pink Diamond?" Flint asked.

* * *

Onyx heard the rush of the door opening again and opened a single eye, only to raise a brow as she saw Pink Diamond approaching. The taller gem dismissed the guards, leaving the two alone. "So, to what do I owe the… pleasure?" Asked the rogue gem, the last word coming out in a way in which it seemed she questioned it herself.

"What you said was true." Pink Diamond started, before pausing. Onyx watched her inquisitively but said nothing. "I want to know why you left White Diamond's service."

"I already told you-" she started.

"The whole truth." The young Diamond cut off, looking her in the eye. "There's more to it than that."

Onyx looked apprehensive at the request. She decided to try and deflect the inquiry. "What does it matter? I rebelled long ago. Maybe I don't remember."

"You're going to start lying now? You didn't seem the type." Said Pink, her words seeming to cut into Onyx as the latter's face turned to a frown, her eyes narrowing.

"Don't think you suddenly know me after such a short time, my Diamond." Said the rogue gem, adding the honorific, but doing so mockingly. The two gems just locked eyes for a moment before the rogue gem closed her eyes, taking a breath and allowing her shoulders to drop, taking on a more relaxed position. "Why do you even care?"

"Because…" Pink said before she took an exhausted sigh. "Because you've proven to me that Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond had something to hide, and maybe still do. I want to know what White was hiding from me."

Onyx looked to the floor for a moment in thought. This was an opportunity, she could drive an even bigger wedge between the Diamonds if she could convince Pink Diamond that White had actually been even worse than either of her sisters, not like anyone could contradict her. And yet… she thought back to when she'd put on that disguise in the forest and just talked with Pink Diamond. She had seemed so… kind… so honest and pure… it didn't feel right to lie to her. "I left the White Diamond's service because… because of my sister."

Pink raised a single brow at that. "Your s _ister_? I thought you said there were no others like you."

"There aren't." She answered. "But when I was created, I was made with a partner, my sister, Zircon." She paused just then, Pink noted that it seemed to be taking all she had just to talk about it. "She and I we were tasked with spying on your sisters, it's what we were made for. And we were good, _very_ good. But after a while, Zircon confided in me that she didn't trust the authority at all anymore, not after all we'd learned and reported to White Diamond. She…" Onyx paused again her voice starting to strain. "She asked that we just leave altogether, make a life for ourselves somewhere beyond the Empire's reach. But I was afraid, afraid that we might fail or that get caught in the act… so I reported it to White Diamond, hoping she'd go easy on us if I did. But then she…"

The rogue gem paused yet again as tears began to stream. "She punished Zircon. I don't know how, but White Diamond altered her gem in such a way that Zircon… she lost her voice forever. We tried using gel to repair her gem but, whatever White Diamond had done it was permanent, irreversible. White Diamond she told me that 'there'd be no more talk of rebellion from her' and she thanked me for telling her."

Pink's eyes softened at the prisoner while the rogue gem gritted her teeth, a few bitter tears rolling. "She thanked me for betraying my friend… my partner… my _sister_ to her. And that was it. I took Zircon and fled as far away as I could. After that…" she trailed off, wiping her face with her arm. "Anyways, that's it, that's why I left."

Pink didn't know what to say, the gem in front of her had endured much and her actions had caused her to hurt the closest person to her. But something inside of her mind clicked just then. "So, that's why you were so... happy at my sister's destruction."

Onyx looked up at her for moment than back down to the floor. "What White Diamond had done, it was unforgivable to me. But I suppose I should be happy she didn't shatter Zircon or try or do some sort of experiment on her." Said the grey gem in reference to the youngest Diamond's sisters. "No, White Diamond was harsh, but Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond are far worse. They don't see non-Diamond gems as anything more than tools. We're expendable to them, replaceable and cheap. You shouldn't trust them."

Pink wanted to say something, anything, in defense of her sisters. But the fact was, deep down, she knew the gem in front of her was right. Still, one last question needed to be asked. "And me? Am I the same as them?"

"I don't know. I studied and watched the other three for years, but you? I've known you less than a day." Said Onyx. "But something tells me, no, you're not, but that doesn't mean you won't ever be either." Pink wasn't quite sure how she should feel about that, but the rogue gem went on. "Which begs the question, what are you, if not a Diamond like them?" She then shrugged, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "But if you can inspire gems like the ones I saw… well… it's something for you to think about." She said before falling silent.

"What do you mean-" Pink started but stopped as she could tell the conversation was over. Her curiosity sated somewhat, she left the room, there were two gems she needed to see right away.

* * *

Yellow stood silently eyeing the White gem floating in front of her, she seemed lost in thought when she heard the door opening behind her. She turned to see her two sisters, both looking rather apprehensive, her own expression began to mirror theirs as they stepped inside and the door closed behind them.

Silence hung in the air for what could have been seconds or minutes it was hard to tell.

"Yellow, I asked Blue to join me because I think there's something we all need to… to come to terms with." Pink started. Both Blue and Yellow nodded at this. "You've both been hiding things from me, things that I have had a right to know about but you choose not to tell me. But I am a Diamond, I have every right to know what's going on in our empire as either of you. But if you two want to continue to scheme and plot behind each other's backs then you two can do it by yourselves, because I want no part of it." She finished.

Blue and Yellow both seemed to pause, thinking on Pink's words before her azure sister spoke up. "When I first began the experiments, I didn't think things would turn out so wrong. And I was embarrassed, to have been so wrong. White allowed me to save face with you and the rest of our society because I asked her to keep it a secret. But I should have told you what I had done long ago."

Their elder sister looked back and forth between the two of them before taking a sigh. "What I did, I only did for the good of our empire. I thought that we may avoid circumstances such as the one we find ourselves in if we could only… fix, the broken personalities of the more defiant gems. But I, too, was wrong, and even when White had told me I was wrong I refused to listen, I was so convinced I could make it work. But now I've created abominations all because I refused to listen to White, but even then, she also let me save face in front of the both of you."

Pink reached out and grabbed her sister's hands with each of hers. "What's been broken between us won't be fixed, not for a long time." said the youngest Diamond.

"But we also have an enemy before us, and without our unity the gems beneath us will fall." Said Blue.

"So for now, we put aside our personal feelings and focus on what's before us. Agreed?" Yellow asked to which he two sisters solemnly nodded. "Good, now before we move on is there anything else we haven't shared?"

"I found out that I can control organics." Pink informed, causing her two sisters to look towards her inquisitively.

"Really?" Blue asked.

"Yeah, I found out about it a little while ago, but there wasn't a good time to tell you guys." Pink said.

"How curious." Said Yellow putting a single hand to her chin in thought. "White has light, Blue has liquids, and I can control electricity but you control organic life?"

"Well the non-moving green-types to be exact." Pink clarified. "And I wouldn't say control so much as influence, but yes."

"I see. Anything else then?" Yellow asked. Neither of her sisters said anything so she continued. "Good. Then from now until this enemy is defeated, we act as a unified force."

"Agreed." Her younger sisters said simultaneously.

"Alright then. We're making the final preparations before moving our fleet, scout ships have already been sent out to see where the enemy may be hiding, they should be back within the hour." Yellow informed.

Pink nodded once to her sister before leaving the room.

Yellow then moved to leave but was caught on the shoulder by Blue. "I do hope you've told us everything sister. I would hate to see our sister so utterly sad once more."

"I could say the same to you, Blue." Her elder sister said before leaving.

Blue took one last longing look at the white gem before she too left.

* * *

Pink Diamond returned to her room, only to see her other three friends had joined Pearl. "You guys, what are you doing here?" she asked

"We knew you've been distant these past couple days." Peridot started.

"So we all came together to see how we could help, Boss." Said Flint.

"We know about what happened." Amethyst finished.

Pink quickly looked to Pearl. "Did you-"

"It wasn't her, my Diamond." Peridot said, quickly intervening.

"We went down and talked to Onyx." Said the purple quartz.

Pink frowned. "So you know then, about Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond."

"Not the exact circumstances, but yes." Said the green gem.

The young Diamond closed her eyes and sighed and opened them again. "Things are a little tense between my sisters and I, but you guys don't need to worry everything will be alright." She honestly hoped that sounded a lot more convincing then she thought it sounded.

Flint shrugged. "I'll follow your lead Boss, but if there's anything you need to tell us, now's the time."

Pink smiled kindly to her. 'Thank you Flint, you don't know what that means to me."

"The same goes for me and the little ones here." Amethyst said putting a hand on Pearl's and Peridot's shoulder with each hand. "Well always be here for you."

Pink couldn't help herself. She bent down and scooped up the four gems in an embrace and hugged them tightly. "Thank you all, so much." She nearly whispered.

* * *

"The scouts have reported back in." Yellow informed her sisters in the briefing room as a hologram shined between them. "They say that a base in this system has been destroyed and recently, nothing remains of it." She then pointed to another part of the hologram. "However another base has been detected in this system, that is where these rebels are most likely hiding out."

"Shouldn't we seen someone to pick through the ruined base?" Blue asked.

"I've already sent several teams to pick through the salvage but the rest are to be focused in this system." Yellow said pointing to it again.

"How long until we begin our ground assault?" asked Pink.

"Teams have already been sent to secure the landing site." Yellow informed. "This planet was deemed unusable as a gem colony due to… these." She said before the hologram turned into a 3-d depiction of large mushroom. "A type of spore fungal organic, they grow rapidly and spread fast. They can be as tall as a spire in some areas and as hard as steel. We'll need to be cautious."

"Shall we be going planet-side then?" asked Blue.

"Yes, this may be the final push. It's best to make sure these gems are eliminated once and for all." The elder Diamond said.

* * *

The base camp was bigger than what they had done previously. For one, an energy dome surrounded it as spores from the surrounding area bounced harmlessly off. But Yellow wasn't exaggerating as Pink stopped to look around. Large towers of white fungal organics could be seen in the distance and form what she could tell they were as tall as the spire towers of the Diamonds back on Homeworld.

Yellow motioned her over to a hologram table that Blue was already currently standing at as well as several quartz commanders getting ready for a briefing as a 3-d map of the area shined before them. "Here's where it ends…" Yellow began

* * *

Spinel was quickly looking from one screen to another on her large console. She and Zircon watched as the gem ships began to land. "Looks like that trick with that star bought us some time, huh?"

Zircon looked down at her fierce and quiet.

"You sure you wanna do this? There's no guarantee she's there." Asked Spinel.

The red gem merely stomped her foot.

"Well, if you're sure. Just be careful alright?" Spinel said worriedly.

Zircon nodded and gave her friend a quick hug before turning to leave.

* * *

 _A little while later…_

* * *

Onyx looked up and around, she could tell something was going on now. She looked over to one of her guards, a ruby. "Hey you! What's happening!"

"Quiet you!" The ruby called back.

"We've landed on one of the planets huh?" the rogue gem asked.

The ruby didn't respond but she didn't need to as Onyx's grin grew. "That's alright, you don't need to answer, I already know. But can I give you some free advice?" she asked. "Just leave. Go."

"I said quiet!" The ruby repeated as the other also eyed her, but silently.

"I'm serious! If _she_ sees me in here she's not gonna like it! And she'll probably get mad and hurt you!" Onyx informed. "And I'd rather she didn't."

"What are you talking about?" The other ruby asked. "Who is 'she'?" A sudden and loud clang was then audible from beyond the door and Onyx's grin became smug and knowing once more.

" _She_ is my sister."

* * *

 **Done. Please review. Also if you haven't reread since the changes I made to the last bit of the last chapter, you may want to do that.  
**


	15. Ch 15: Reversal

**Chapter 15, it's nif-teen.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 15: Reversal

Two ships dropped out of hyperspace, beginning their descent onto the planet below. Scans quickly revealed what they had been looking for.

Not very hard considering it was a smoking pile of rubble.

The two ships landed nearby, waiting a moment before opening the loading ramp, a quartz from each walking of with a dozen or so rubies between them. Over their bodies was a yellow thin skin tight suit.

"Why do we have to were these?" One of the rubies asked aloud.

"Because if you don't, the atmosphere here will corrode your gem." One of the quartz commanders replied dryly.

"Oh, yeah." The ruby replied. The quartz, a jasper, pinched the bridge of her nose. She really couldn't handle the simplicity of rubies sometimes.

"All of you start cleaning this up! If there's salvage here I want it found!" the other quartz, an agate, commanded.

The rubies hopped to it as they began systematically moving around debris.

Jasper sighed as she sat down on one of the rocks nearby. "What are we doing here? We should be out fighting with all the others."

Agate joined her, the rock barely big enough to allow the both of them on it. "What are you gonna do? Order from the Diamonds, besides we clean this up fast enough we might get to the fight before it's all over."

Jasper cast a sideways glance at her. "Ah, you're just saying that to cheer me up."

Agate shrugged as the two watched the rubies go about their duty. Suddenly one of them spoke up. "Hey! I found something!" she hollered.

The two quartzes investigated to see what the little gem had found. It was a hole leading into the ground, but partially collapsed.

Flint wasn't quite sure how she felt overall, but at the moment she was pretty sure it was somewhere between annoyed and tired. She reached in and pulled out a long skinny bend metal bar. "See?" she asked.

Jasper frowned. "You got excited over a bar?" she asked.

Agate moved passed her though, picking it from the ruby's hand. "No, this might actually be a good find."

"How do you figure?" asked her fellow quartz.

"Well, it's sturdy for one. But not thick. Long but not enough to be for supporting a wall or ceiling." She said aloud, compiling her thoughts.

"So?" the orange gem asked, waiting on an explanation.

"So, I think this was used for a cage." replied Agate.

"Like a barred cage?" Jasper asked to which her fellow quartz nodded. "Primitive." She then thought for a moment. "So if there were cages here…"

"…then what was inside them?" Agate finished.

* * *

This place was the worst, the absolute worst. The forest and the rain on the last planet had been one thing, but these spores that floated through the air, they were everywhere. They kept sticking to her, forcing the grey gem to stop every few minutes to brush off an accumulation of them.

Similar cases of spore trouble were happening to all the gems as they marched on through the white fungal jungle. Scans and previous maps had indicated that the base should be somewhere nearby, but if it was, she couldn't see it.

Suddenly, Flint heard something, like a sudden rush of air, but different. It was more hollow and echo-like and soft, like it was coming from an underground cavern. She turned to look, but saw nothing but more spores flying through the air. The grey gem began to move on when she heard the sound of soft crunching as a mushroom near her was suddenly flattened to the ground. The grey gem bent down, seeing only a small footprint.

It was fresh, _very_ fresh.

"What in space is going on?" Flint asked herself, she then looked from where she first saw the wind sound to where she now stood and then plotted the course in her head.

Something was headed back towards their camp.

* * *

Pink watched as their soldiers marched off, she and her sisters were staying behind in the camp this time. Yellow looked over to her sister and frowned, she could practically read her thoughts. "Pink, no." she said simply.

The younger Diamond turned around. "'No' what?" she asked.

"We're not taking any risks this time." Yellow said firmly. "Not after what happened…" she paused. "…what happened before."

Suddenly a priority message was being directed at them through the holotable. A small image of Flint was suddenly displayed on its surface. Yellow was about to say something but Pink moved past her and addressed her gem first. "Flint! What is it? What's wrong?"

The image was getting filled with static as the grey gem attempted to convey her message. "…thing is out… er… eading… … ay." She managed to get out before static overcame the signal entirely.

"Flint! What's wrong?! Repeat!" she said into the image but only static remained. "What's happening?" Pink asked turning to Peridot.

The green gem was already trying to troubleshoot the problem but was frowning as she learned more and more. "Something's interfering with our signals." She informed, as she continued to work. "It could be all this organic matter in the air but…" she trailed off.

"But what?" Yellow Diamond asked.

"It shouldn't be this much of a problem, my Diamonds." She said respectfully. "I think it's coming from an outside source. "

"Can you fix it?" Pink asked.

"I'm trying, but…" she trailed off again shaking her head exasperatedly. "I've never seen a jamming signal this intricate. The way its interfering with signals, I barely know where to begin, what to do."

Yellow quickly spotted several olivines nearby and called out to them. They immediately gathered in front of her, standing at attention. Yellow pointed to Peridot. "You will help her restore communications to our forces and you will do it now!" she ordered.

"Yes, my Diamond." The responded in a sort of fearful harmony.

* * *

 _Below ground…_

* * *

Spinel watched as hundreds, no, _thousands_ of gems appeared to be marching through her territory. They'd be upon her soon. She'd already initiated the first phase, their communications were severed, for now. It was time for the second phase to begin. She began to type in a series of commands as she watched the soldier grow nearer and nearer.

* * *

Amethyst walked along with her fellow gems, some rubies were scouting ahead but so far, they'd found nothing.

She didn't like this.

She'd already walked into a trap on the last planet they'd been on, she didn't want to do it again. Soddenly she heard a whirling from within the ground and hatches popped open. "Of course." Said the purple gem with resignation as beasts came flying out, small and fast. By the time she saw it, it had already taken out a ruby and was pouncing on her. But Amethyst had expected it, and batted the fast little beast away with a mighty swing of her mace, only for another of the same type but different color to take its place as it jumped on her and bit into her shoulder. She knocked the little creature off with her free arm and got a good look at it.

It was just a small animal-like little quadruped with no eyes and a mouth that seemed almost larger than its body. The purple quartz glanced around and saw hundreds of the little beasts they were swarming them, streaming from ground like a well-spring. The little beast launched itself at her again and like before Amethyst batted it away. Then she looked around herself, the little beasts had her surrounded. "Oh, it's like that huh? Bring it!" she shouted as they pounced together.

* * *

The corridors inside White's flagship were awfully quiet, only a skeleton crew remained, everyone else being directed to the invasion outside. On one of the consoles inside control room, a lone peridot went about her business. She was actually kind of grateful, with all the grunts outside and away from her maybe she could actually get some work done.

The door behind her opened up, just then. The green gem turned to look but saw nothing so she shrugged and turned back to the wor-

A blaster pistol was suddenly aimed at her head and the little gem remained perfectly still. A red gem, of some make she'd never seen before, stepped into view. "Wh-what… who…?" she began but the red gem narrowed her eyes and this silenced Peridot. After more silence the little gem worked up the courage again. "W-what do you want?" she asked timidly.

The gem reached passed her with her free hand, the blaster pistol still poised to shoot and typed in one word. O-N-Y-X

"'Onyx'?" she said aloud. This seemed to irk the red gem and began to dig the barrel of the blaster into the gems head. "Okay okay! But I don't know what-" a thought suddenly crossed her mind, something she'd heard about over the last few days. "Do you mean the prisoner?" She asked.

The red gem seemed to tense at the last word, but nodded.

"You want to know where she is then."

Another nod.

"She'd probably be down in the holding area." The green gem suggested. "Here, these are the directions." As she showed a quick layout plan of the ship on her screen.

The gem pulled the blaster away and the peridot sighed.

 _ **BLAM**_

* * *

Pink was pacing impatiently which her elder sister stood, impassive and regal. "Sister calm down."

The young Diamond looked to her. "Calm down? We've lost communications with our troops! Doesn't that make you just a little concerned?"

"They're soldiers Pink." Blue spoke up. "They'll be fine, communication will be restored and you'll see there was nothing to worry about."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Peridot muttered under her breath as she and her fellow technicians continued to try and reestablish a secure line to their forces.

Amethyst brought down her mace one last time and the small creature poof out of existence. The purple quartz took a look at her surroundings. Gems of all kinds were scattered across the white fungal floor. She couldn't tell apart the enemies from the fallen though from what she saw they weren't hit too badly, all things considered. Maybe a little over fifteen percent of their force had poofed?

The purple quartz's attention was suddenly torn from her surroundings as the bounding form of Flint came near, calling out her name all the while. "Hey! You just missed it!" Amethyst called out.

"No, I didn't I was just-" The grey gem shook her head and refocused. "Nevermind that, we got to go back to our ship right now!"

"What for?" her fellow quartz asked.

"Something's headed their way. I don't know what, but I got a bad feeling about it." Flint replied.

Before Amethyst could offer a comment, the panels in the ground came up once more. "Too late. Looks like the second wave is coming."

Flint turned around and the remaining gem forces prepared themselves. At first, there was nothing, then the sound of simultaneous marching came and from the darkness robonoids came, beginning to break ranks as they engaged the gem nearest to them.

The purple quartz was about to join the frey when Flint grabbed her by the shoulder. "Forget them! We need to get back to base!"

"We can't abandon our forces out here, Flint! We're commanding gems! If they see us start to run everyone's gonna start breaking ranks!" she shouted back as blaster fire started sounding off.

"If we don't get back right now, who knows if we'll have a camp to go back to !" Flint shouted back over the sounds of battle, the robonoids drew near, some of them targeting the two even as they spoke to each other.

"You really think it's that bad?" Amethyst asked before jumping out of the way of blaster fire.

"The bad feeling's getting worse Am, I need to go now!" the grey gem replied.

"Go then! I'll catch up soon! I promise!" Amethyst shouted as she jumped high and brought her weapon down hard on one of the robonoids causing it to blow up.

The two quartzes met eyes one last time and simultaneously nodded before Flint took off for the camp.

* * *

A quartz patrolled the hallway in a bit of a huff, she'd wished she'd been called to fight outside with everyone else but no, here she was patrolling an empty hallway. What a bore.

She heard the sound of running in the halls and turned to see who it was, but when she did, she saw nothing and heard nothing. The quartz squinted her eyes, trying to scan the area. A second later her feet were pulled out from under her and she sank into the floor. A moment later Zircon appeared, phasing through the floor, and looking ahead to the doors where the oath to her sister was on the other side.

She walked towards the door and touched it, before phasing through it. A single ruby guard was facing away form her patrolling the many empty cells. Before the little gem could even react to the sound of footsteps behind her Zircon over took her and destroyed her physical form. She looked to the last door in the corridor, an inner and outer door making up its composition.

The rogue gem drew near but heard the sound of coursing electricity in the outer door. She nodded once before raising her fist. She clenched it hard and it began to darken until it was completely black. With a mighty swing she hit the door once, it dented, she hit the door, again and again until at last the door began to lean over and fall.

The rubies inside had heard the commotion from outside and had taken positions to counter the invaders. The doors fell hard with a loud clang but, there was nothing Neither of the rubies saw anything, looking around for the sign of anyone.

Onyx's smug grim only deepened, a little teeth now showing.

"Where did-" one of the rubies began before she was suddenly thrown back hard against a wall by some invisible force.

"Ruby!" the fellow ruby called out, until she was knocked straight under the chin and into the ceiling by the same force. The little gem fell and poofed upon hitting the ground. The other ruby lied still but opened a single eye to see a red gem approach the prisoner.

Onyx's smug smile was lessened, becoming more honest and sincere rather than gloating. "Zircon… you look good."

The rogue gem only returned the smile with one of her own. She reached forward to her sister but stopped just short of touching it and frowned looking to her sister for guidance.

"Sorry Zirc, I don't know how these work but maybe…" she eyed the ruby who was now getting up, steading herself against the wall.

Zircon quickly closed the distance between them and picked her up, walking over with the ruby tucked under her arm like a newspaper. She stopped in front of the force field and pointed to it.

The ruby however didn't understand. "What?"

Onyx spoke up. "You'll have to excuse her, words aren't my sister's thing. However, I believe she wants to know how to free me."

"I ain't saying anything." The ruby responded defiantly. Zircon gritted her teeth and shoved the ruby into the ground, putting pressure on her back.

"Ow! Ow!" said the little gem.

Onyx bent down so the ruby could see her. "You shouldn't have done that. C'mon you can tell us. I promise we won't hurt you."

"No!" the ruby said again.

Onyx sighed and Zircon looked over the other ruby now lying inert on the floor. The red gem got off the ruby and picked it up with a single hand.

"What are you-?" the ruby began before Zircon began to squeeze. "What are you doing?!' she cried,

"Any more pressure and your fellow ruby might start to crack. Who knows maybe she'll even be _shattered_." The grey gem said, putting extra emphasis on the last word.

The ruby gritted her teeth before looking from the calm face of Onyx to the frowning face of Zircon. She closed her eyes and gave a sigh of submission. The ruby walked over to the wall and tapped on it twice. Suddenly a command console was visible and after a few seconds of typing, the light around Onyx began to fade.

The rogue gem stretched her limbs as she was freed and motioned for Zircon to stop her squeezing. She then walked over to the ruby, who now stared at the floor in bitter defeat. The grey rogue gem put a single hand on her shoulder. "Hey, no one blames you for makng a descision that saved a friend."

The ruby looked up at her for a moment before her face went into one of shock. She looked down to see a blade now buried in her chest. "Sorry it had to be this way." Said Onyx, her face emotionless as she withdrew her blade. The little gem poofed and Onyx took a deep breath before turning to her sister with a smile.

The two ran towards each other and embraced. Tears began to stream down Zircon's face and Onyx's began to water up too. "Oh, Zirc, always with the tears."

They broke the embrace and each wiped their eyes. Zircon looked to her sister with a confident smile. The grey gem returned it with her smug grin. "So, shall we have some fun?"

* * *

"Is it done yet?" Yellow asked.

"With respect my Diamond, this is a very difficult jamming signal and we've yet to find anything to fix the ones being jammed or find another on a different frequency that we could use instead." Peridot answered, briefly explain the intricacy of their fixing of communications.

"How long could it possibly take?" Blue demanded.

"Hey Blue, they're trying their best, let them concentrate on their jobs." Pink cut in.

"Our forces out there are operating blind Pink, we need the communications up _now_." Blue snapped back.

Suddenly a grey gem came flying in, landing in a tumble before the hologram table, gaining the attention of all present.

The young Diamond recognized he right away. "Flint? What are you-?"

"News! From the battle!" Flint said, saluting. "Most of our forces are currently engaging some sort of robonoids. Communications are also out." She said in quick curt sentences.

"We know, we've been trying to fix that." Pink replied.

"Is that all?" Yellow asked her.

"No, there is some sort of enemy that I believe has breached the perimeter." The grey gem said, again quickly and curtly.

The three diamonds looked to each other confused and then ack to Flint. "Are you sure of this?" Pink asked.

"I am." The quartz responded.

"But we've had no damage done here. If someone was infiltrating here would they have struck here first?" Blue asked.

"Unless they weren't aiming for us." Pink said in slow realization.

"The prisoner." Yellow said before looking around to see a scant few gems, several rubies and two quartzes. still standing around, an auxiliary force to protect the leaders of gem-kind. "You! Follow this flint into the ship and sweep it immediately!" she ordered.

Flint looked to Pink for confirmation and saw her nod. "Let's go!" she said and the group ran inside.

* * *

The hallways were eerily silent. There was no alarm, no gems, everything looked immaculate. But without gems roaming around besides them, it gave off a creepy vibe. Flint shook off this feeling and lead the gems straight to the holding cells.

Along the way, Flint began to see a few inert gems left on the floor, but she paid them little mind as she focused on the task at hand. The group finally reached the room where Onyx was being hald only to see the doors busted down. They ran in and quickly saw no one was inside except for two inert ruby gems, laying neatly side by side near the busted doors.

"We're too late." The grey gem said, her face dropping.

"What do we do now?" one of the rubies asked.

Flint was about to give new orders when the group suddenly heard and felt a large rumble reverberate throughout the ship. A thought suddenly came into Flint's head as her eyes widened. "Quick! To the ship's power core!" she ordered as they followed her lead down the corridor.

* * *

Flint and her gang ran along the corridor to see a familiar scene, inert gems lying scattered here and there in the hallway to the power core. They reached the entrance to the power core's door but found it had been sealed shut. "Let's get this open." Flint said as she drew her wepon, The others drew theirs and began to pry open the door.

The grey gem heard a voice from beyond shouting. "C'mon Zirc, hit harder!"" It was Onyx's voice.

The group finally got the door and piled in. Onyx turned around but Zircon did not, focusing on the task at hand. "Looks like we got company Zirc."

The red gem looked over her shoulder briefly but went back to hitting the large towering generator in the center of the room. It was sparking now and would be able to take much more.

"Stop! Flint shouted out. "Do you realize what you're doing?!" she shouted.

"Destabilizing the ship's energy core." Said Onyx nonchalantly. Just then Zircon gave a final mighty hit and drew back as the core began to sputter and the ship began to shake. "Which reminds me, you may want to run." With that Zircon grabbed her hand and the two sank into the floor below.

Flint's eyes widened as the core began to shine with a bright light. "GET DOWN!"

* * *

Peridot wiped her brow. "I think we've almost got it." she said proudly as she was putting the finishing touches on the fix.

"Some good news at last." Yellow said flatly.

Suddenly a quartz bounded in and tumbled just as before, but this tie it was Amethyst.

Pink looked over to her. "Amethyst? What are you doing here?"

"Flint came this way, right?" she asked.

"I mean yes but-" the young Diamond began.

"Good, I was just coming to help her. I mean without me, who knows what would happen." Just then White's flagship was blown apart, sending everyone to the ground with the force of the explosion, knocking over equipment and shorting out a few of their electronics. The force field surrounding the camp was also down now, the spore from outside now free flowing in.

Blue was the first to pick herself up. "What was…" her eyes widened as she saw the ship in flames. "White ship! White's gem!" she suddenly got to her feet and ran towards the inferno.

Yellow was the next to stand up, holding one arm. "Blue! Wait!" she said running after her sister.

The last Diamond stood up, holding her head. "What was-" she suddenly noticed a pair of feet standing before her and slowly looked up to come eye to eye with a gem she'd never seen before. It was tall, just a little bit taller than she was infact. It had wild crazy hair on the top of her head but was straight and neat on the sides. She was a hue of stripes, dark greys and reds with three arms, two on each side and one that came from her back like a tail and longer that the other two. Three eyes stared down at her as pink looked weakly back.

Suddenly the wind was knocked out of Pink as a great fist came and rammed her gut. Pink felt dazed and limp as the strange gem picked her up with its arm-tail, the jumping off towards the white forest.

Amethyst had seen the whole thing but was almost too weak to move, barely getting to her feet as she tried to regain her strength. She watched as the giant gem bounded off and then turned back to the flaming ship. "Guess that's what would happen."

* * *

Spinel continued to watch on her monitors, the battle was going pretty well. Her robots were at some disadvantage, but not by much. Suddenly one of her sensors went off, alerting her to the new arrival. She turned around and saw the giant gem place Pink down before a ight brightly shown and Onyx and Zircon were left in its place.

"So successfully got our prisoner freed I see." Spinel said to Zircon.

Onyx. "Free as can be. And it looks like we got one of our own now." She said motioning behind her to Pink Diamond who was still weak and trying to even gather the strength to sit up.

"Huh, I surprised you didn't just destroy her physical form." Spinel observed.

"Not like we really have the time to be wasted on waiting for her to reform." Onyx said pointedly.

"Too true." The rogue leader agreed. "You two should go prepare, we may need your strength soon." The two rogue gems nodded and walked off.

Pink began to sit up and Spinel walked over to her console. She quickly input a few commands and the ceiling aboe Pink began to retract a small dish coming down. It emitted a white field that entrapped Pink Diamond in a cone of energy. She weakly sat up all the way, still holding her head. "Where am I?"

"You're in the heart of my base, Pink Diamond." Spinel said, suddenly gaining Pink's attention. "We have so much to talk about."

* * *

 **Done. Review, if you wouldn't mind.**


	16. Ch 16: Plea

**Chapter 16, it's** _ **also**_ **nif-teen.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Plea

Pearl opened her eyes, slowly, and weakly. Her head was ringing and she could faintly hear… she wasn't quite sure, crackling maybe? Was there a fire?

Her eyes opened in shock just then as the memory came back to her, there'd been an explosion.

She sat up and tried to look around, but nothing was in focus. Not the sound which was still muffled and far away, nor her sight which was blurred, only making out silhouettes and vague shapes.

Pearl blinked once, twice, and suddenly the world around her gained a startling clarity.

White Diamond's flagship had been the cause of the explosion. Considering the size and force, most of the ship was actually intact, looking more like a cracked insect shell from which some fiery larva had emerged. The lithe gem could make out Blue Diamond putting out the flames. Yellow Diamond stood apart from her, she saw her mouth moving but heard nothing at this distance. She must have been giving orders.

She looked around her and things weren't much better. Most, if not all, of their equipment had been knocked over from the blast or shorted out when the ship exploded.

Suddenly, a purple hand was in her face and Pearl looked up to see Amethyst standing over her, looking pretty good, all things considered. Pearl took it and the quartz helped her up, allowing the pink-ish gem to steady herself before letting go.

"What happened?" asked Pearl.

"Ship exploded." Amethyst answered curtly.

"I can see that. How? Why?"

"I don't know and I don't know." The purple quartz replied. "But that might be the least of our worries."

"What do you mean?" the smaller gem asked.

"Pink Diamond, she's been taken."

* * *

Pink sat up, not really having enough room to stand she knelt down on both knees, her hands in her lap as she looked upon the rogue gem. "You brought me here to talk?"

"It wasn't like I could exactly send you a message and this wasn't really what I had in mind, but yes." She answered. "My name is Spinel. I'm sure you're already familiar with Onyx and Zircon."

The former gem thought back to the prisoner, Onyx, about what she had said. "Zircon" that was the name of her sister, the one White had… she shook the thoughts form her head. She didn't feel like dwelling on her eldest sister right now. Instead she tried and focused on the present, and what little she could do to improve its current state. "How did I get here?"

"You were brought here, by my friends. Though I would have thought that obvious enough all on its own." Spinel answered.

Pink narrowed her eyes at that, but said nothing to the thinly vailed insult. Instead, she tried to get to the heart of the matter. "What is it you want to discuss with me?'

Spinel seemed pensive at first, but Pink couldn't quite tell why. "How much of what Onyx told you, do you believe?" she asked.

Pink wasn't expecting that, and the way the gem had phrased it made it sound as if she thought she wasn't expecting the Diamond to believe Onyx's accusations. "She already told you what happened?"

"Briefly." Spinal replied. "I don't really need the fine details to put two and two together. But, back to my first question."

Now it was the young Diamond's turn to be a little apprehensive. Should she really even be talking to this gem? Was it wise to reveal the lack of unity between her sisters and herself? Still she answered. "I didn't want to, but I won't deny the facts."

Spinel's facial features softened a bit at this, almost in relief. "That's good, my Diamond. Many would rather accept an easy lie than a hard truth."

Pink was a bit surprised to hear the rogue gem before her use the honorific title, and not do so in a mocking way. Still, it was best not to forget this was the enemy right before her eyes. "But that's in the past now. So, if you were hoping to drive my sisters and I further apart you can stop wasting your time."

The rogue gem gave a little half smile to that. "Strange, I didn't know broken trust between gems could be fixed so easily. I would think you were still uneasy about Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond."

Pink didn't say anything. She didn't need to. The silence said enough.

"And if you are, you are right to do so." Spinel continued, walking back over to her console and sitting down. "You heard about Yellow's connection to corruption and Blue's attempt to reuse gem shards, right?" Pink, again, said nothing, but, again, didn't need to. "Onyx told you White Diamond had them shut down their experiments, but what if I told you they're still doing them? And that, if anything, they've gotten worse?"

Pink knew she shouldn't be listening, but her sisters had already proven to be untrustworthy, even before Onyx's little reveal. If nothing else, at least these gems hadn't lied to her. "I would say I wouldn't want to believe it." And she really didn't she wanted some reason, _any_ reason to trust her sisters. But, she honestly couldn't think of one, not after all that had happened. This realization washed over her and for a moment she felt sorrow begin to creep up on her, but she shook it from her head. "So, now what? Are you going to try and convince me my sisters are an even greater threat to gems?"

Spinel said nothing, only began to type in commands to her console. The walls above parted and a screen came down. It came to life with a blinding light, a planet was shown. It then quickly zoomed out and several… she wasn't quite sure what they were. They were pictures of creatures she'd never seen. "This was a planet capable of life once. Those creatures there? They were its inhabitants. However," she typed a few more commands and the image began to change, showing the planet post-colonialization. "By the time we were finished, we'd wiped out all life there. And it was far from the only one." She typed and more pictures came, this time depicting dozens of others. "There planets all could have supported life, but they were snuffed out, in preparation for us."

The young Diamond wasn't sure what to think on that, it wasn't usual policy for gems to establish colonies where life had already existed. Not in recent memory anyways. "We stopped doing that thousands of years ago." White had told her that herself. There were usually plenty of other planets to pick from that didn't involve the extinction of other forms of life. Their eldest sister hadn't been against it, at first, but made it policy for Yellow not long before Blue had been created. Yellow had argued with White for years that using planets with inherent organic life was better. That the interaction between organics and their environment made the ground richer and thus better gems could be made. Still, White had denied her. But now their eldest sister was gone, and some of the serious implications of that were suddenly hitting the young Diamond.

"Looks like you've realized it." Spinel said, studying her captive's facial expressions. "Your sisters are not just a threat to the freedom of gems, but a threat to all life in the universe."

* * *

"You, you, and you! Reset our equipment! You! Get some gems to start moving this debris now!" Yellow said barking out orders as gem scrambled around her. She looked to her sister, Blue had managed to quell the fires, now she saw her sifting through the rubble, looking for their eldest sister. "Blue!" she called out.

But the younger Diamond ignored her, kneeling down and flinging pieces of twisted and/or burnt metal behind her and to her sides as she searched desperately to find White's gem. Yellow reached for her shoulder. "What?!" Blue practically shouted, a wild look in her eye which caught Yellow a bit off guard.

Yellow Diamond however maintained her composure. "You need to calm yourself. We need to access our situation."

"Calm myself? CALM MYSELF?!" Blue said, her hysterics rising with volume. "Our sister may have just been blown to bits and you want me to be calm?!"

Yellow pulled her by her arm, dragging her to her feet. "Stop it, Blue." The elder sister said firmly gripping her. "White's gem is either shattered or it's not. Losing our composures when the enemy may still be near is going to help no one."

The wild look in Blue's eyes persisted, but she quickly deflated, knowing Yellow was right. She removed Yellow's hand from her shoulder and knelt back down. "Even so, I won't feel better until I know it's safe." With that, she resumed her debris sifting.

Yellow was about to say more when she noticed two gem running up to meet her. She stared down at the two, she recognized one immediately, it was Pink's Pearl, and the other took a moment until it clicked. This was the Amethyst Pink had been conversing with earlier. The Pearl spoke up first. "My Diamond, I-"

"What is it?" Yellow asked, clearly irritated. "What could Pink possibly need at this very moment that she'd send you in her place?"

Pearl seemed apprehensive now. "My Diamond, that is to say, Pink Diamond she… um… well…"

"Pink Diamond was taken, my Diamond." Amethyst spat out quickly.

Yellow blinked once, slowly opening her eyes. Her face was unreadable but she made out one clear and audible word. "What." Blue even paused for a moment, looking over her shoulder to the two gems, not sure what she'd just heard herself.

Amethyst and Pearl quickly exchanged glances. The word hadn't been a question, yet now it felt like their very lives were suddenly on the line with their answer. "Pink Diamond, ma'am. She's been taken." Pearl squeaked out.

Yellow then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose, slowly letting out a sigh as Blue came up from behind to stand beside her sister, her gaze still locked onto the gems. "How?" Yellow asked, her eyes still closed and hand still pinching.

"I saw it, my Diamond." Said Amethyst, stepping in front of Pearl. "A gem, a _big_ gem, came in and carried her off."

Amethyst was about to say more but Yellow held out her hand to stop, and the purple quartz did so. "To be clear, you saw my sister being attacked and carried off, and did nothing to prevent it." She let go of her nose and opened her eyes giving an icy glare to the quartz. "Is that what you are telling me?"

The purple gem was often laid back, she didn't sweat much and feared little. But with the Diamond looking down at her now she felt an absolute chill wash over her and spoke as best as she could. "That is correct, my Diamond." She then knelt down, giving the Diamond salute. "Please, forgive my incompetence."

For a moment, Yellow Diamond looked like she might annihilate the gem off the face of the planet. But, instead, she took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "I see. Go." The two gems did as they were bid and walked off to help fix the camp.

Blue looked curiously to her sister. "I thought for sure you would-"

Yellow stopped her with a wave of her hand and walked off. "One disaster at a time Blue. One at a time."

* * *

"Even if my sisters are the threat that you say they are, why do you care so much?" asked the captive Diamond.

The rogue gem thought for a moment on how to respond before looking back up to Pink. "Tell me, Pink Diamond, have you ever heard of a 'spinel' before?"

Pink shook her head. And she really hadn't but she could guess where this was going. "I am a specially made one of a kind proto-gem, just like my friends. But I wasn't made for infiltration or combat like Onyx or Zircon, nor was I made for terraforming like Diopside." 'Diopside', Pink remembered Blue mentioning it was she who had caused their sister's dormant state, narrowing her eyes a bit. So, can you guess what I was made for?" Pink took the question as rhetorical and stayed silent, waiting for explanation. "Your eldest sister wanted a way to widely monitor the thoughts of gems. She wanted a gem that could uncover traitorous thoughts before any gem could act on them. Instead, she got me."

"Oh, and how did it go wrong?" Pink asked, genuinely curious.

"Because I can't read the thoughts or know intentions of other gems, but I developed another power." Spinel continued, now pacing around the room. "I began to feel other gems, not their thoughts but what they felt, emotionally. I told White of this new development, but she seemed uninterested in its effects, saying that being able to read the emotional state of a being had too little application to reading real intention the way thought reading could. So, she declared my series of gem a failure, and no more spinels were made." The rogue gem got misty eyed. "White let me go, she said she had no use for me but that it wasn't my fault either. She said that I was free to do as I pleased as long as I did not interfere with the Diamond's work. So, I did. I wondered Homeworld for a time, but without purpose or direction I simply felt lost and left out among gems who knew their destinies. Eventually I found my way into space and onto then colonies, but it was little different from Homeworld. So, farther and farther away from the heart of the empire I traveled, until I was on the frontier. It was there I felt the feelings of organic creatures. They were simple, but powerful feelings of fear or sorrow but also of happiness and love. I watched from afar as their planet was turned into a colony…" she paused, looking to the ground. "I felt them as they were wiped out, their fear and their pain, it was… unimaginable."

"So, you wanted to stop my sisters from colonizing on inhabited worlds." Said Pink. "But my sister already saw to that."

"White Diamond did little more than mitigate the destruction of Blue Diamond and Yellow Diamond. But now that she's gone, nothing is stopping your sisters from taking any planet they want, and wiping out whatever life gets in their way." Spinel retorted. "I wanted a way to stop them for good, so I had to seek out allies."

"That's where your friends came in." The young Diamond said.

Spinel nodded. "It took time, but yes, I found them. They were… apprehensive to say the least. But once I managed to get Onyx and Zircon to listen to me, we joined up. And that's how I came to learn about your sisters' more grievous crimes." Pink frowned at that but Spinel didn't notice as she continued. "I became convinced that your sisters were threats to the cosmos. We raided a few of their more private facilities and beheld the abominations of corruption and shard fusion. It was there we met Diopside, another proto-gem who'd been designed for the movement of planetary structure. Unlike myself, in time, Diopside would have been mass-produced, but we put a stop to that. We destroyed all traces of her facility and the data on how to make more like her. Thus, we had our fourth member."

"From what I heard from my sister, Diopside was especially hateful of us." Pink said.

Spinel seemed to be looking for something to say, scanning the floor and avoiding eye contact. "Diopside was always passionate. She had never been around other gems before we found her and to be suddenly treated so closely, so lovingly, it left an impression on her. She was especially angered by the hierarchy of our society, having a strong notion of equality among all gems, even stronger than mine. To her you Diamonds represent everything wrong with the Empire."

"And White Diamond's Pearl?" asked Pink. "How does she fit into all this?"

"After we freed the specimens from your sister's facilities we began working on ways to help them." The rogue gem said looking back to Pink. "Looking back, it's hard to say which was harder to deal with, corruption or the shard fusions. The latter because whomever they were before they came together was essentially lost and we had no idea if we should allow the existence of these new beings as their own separate entities, or if it was more of a mercy to simply destroy them. But corruption…" Spinel shook her head, as if trying to shake the memories loose form her head. "we had little idea of what to do about it at all."

"You didn't try and study the weapon or data from the raids?" Pink asked.

"The weapon had already been moved by the time we'd attacked. The facilities of Yellow Diamond's we'd found only seemed to house corrupted gems, it seems she had gems studying the effects of corruption as well, but were no closer to finding the cure for it than we were." The rogue gem explained. "We tried using synth gel to try and repair the gems, but the effects were minimal at best. So I concluded we needed something a little stronger, we needed true primordial gel. But to do that we needed to get close to White Diamond. So, we replaced her pearl with Onyx for a time, holding her captive while we got what was needed."

"But the pearl who was shattered, she _was_ a pearl." Pink said.

"At first, she remained indignantly loyal to White Diamond. But after months of captivity she started to open up and she started to see our points of view. She even offered to be our informant on White Diamond and insisted she could get us primordial gel far easier than Onyx had been able to, up to that point. I was skeptical, a part of me sure that'd she would sell us out to White Diamond and that would be the end of us, Zircon agreed, especially with her sister on the line. Diopside, however, vouched for her, insisting she could be trusted to be loyal to us. I remined skeptical, Diopside had been pearl's jailer for much of the time and I was afraid she'd grown a little too attached and trusting to our prisoner, but Onyx had been posing as Pearl almost too long by then and I feared that sooner or later White Diamond would notice the subtle nuances that would give her away. So, against my better judgement, I recalled Onyx and had Pearl take her place as our agent." Spinel began smiling a little as she went on. "As it turns out, Diopside's faith was not misplaced and soon we had enough primordial gel to make some real progress."

"So, you did it? You cured corruption?" pink asked almost too quickly and excitedly.

"No." The rogue gem replied curtly. "It was still not enough. We'd apply the gel to a corrupted gem and they'd begin to revert to their former selves, but never all the way. They all remained partially transformed in some way and all lacked something. One would regain its mind but nothing else, not voice or the ability to write. Another would speak, but only gibberish, still being mad and crazed. Not a single one managed to regain its former self."

"So, there really is no permeant solution." The young Diamond said, disheartened.

"As of now no, but that's where you come in." Spinel replied.

"Me? What do you want me for?" she asked.

"Because I think you can succeed where I've failed."

* * *

Flint slowly opened her eyes, she felt a pressure on her legs and looked down, seeing a massive burnt piece of metal laying on it. She pushed it aside and stood up. She was dazed for a moment before she remembered what had happened. The grey gem looked around, she was apparently buried beneath a large pile of debris. It had collapsed around her in such a way that metal beams leaned on each other at angles and kept everything from falling down on her.

Flint looked to the ground but could barely see, the light only scarcely filtering in through gaps in the wreckage. She spotted the gems of two of her squad. She looked around for more but saw nothing. She sighed and pocketed them. "There must be a way out of here." She could have made for one of the gaps, but it was small and if she tried forcing her way out she could end up burying herself, no, it was better to try and see if there was another way, so she began to walk through the debris.

After a few short moments of walking it was then that Flint saw a light glowing. However, it was not coming from outside like the other lights, but from underneath a pile of metal plates. The grey gem walked over to it and began to move it out of the way. She gasped as she beheld the bubbled gem of While Diamond.

Flint carefully reached forward and grasped the bubble gingerly. She removed it from the pile and held it in her arms, barely being able to grasp it due to the bubble's girth. Flint set it down and wiper her brow and looked around again. "How am I going to be able to fit you through whatever hole I find to get out of her." She asked it. As if in response the bubble popped and the gem fell to the ground with a plop. Flint reached down and picked it up with both arms, it was just small enough to carry under one of her arms so she did so. "Don't worry, my Diamond. I'll find us a way out of here."

* * *

Blue Diamond looked worriedly from pile to pile as gems began to sift through the debris. Yellow was behind her, finishing up the bare minimum of getting the camp back in working order. Yellow addressed her sister as she approached. "We should have full communications back up and running in just a few moments." She looked to her sister who looked back with concerned tears dripping form her face.

"Oh Yellow, what if she's-" Blue started.

"Don't even think like that, White Diamond is fine." Her elder sister cut off.

"And Pink what about her?" she pleaded.

"If they took her and didn't try and break her on the spot then they must want her for something, but until we can restore communications with our forces we'd be running blind into the enemy." Yellow explained.

Blue wanted to say something but knew that her sister was right, in her usual cold calculating way, but right all the same.

"Hey we got something over here!" One of the quartzes rummaging through the piles said. More joined her and they began to dig out a hole. After a moment, Flint came crawling out, holding White's gem under one arm. The other gems backed off as Blue quickly ran over, Yellow not far behind her. Hey grey quartz knelt down on one arm and presented the large gem above her head to the Diamond.

Blue reached down and grasped it, she held it out for Yellow to see before holding it close to her chest. Yellow looked down to Flint whose eyes were still downcast. "Rise, Flint." She ordered. The grey gem did as she was bade to do, looking up to Yellow. "You've done well." She said simply.

Blue closed her eyes, still clutching the gem. Tears streamed down, as she looked to Flint. "Thank you, so very much."

"You humble me with your words, my Diamonds." Flint replied politely.

Yellow then turned to Peridot who had finished setting up the equipment and was now busy fiddling with the communications console. "Have you finished?" she asked.

"The signal is all clear, my Diamond." Peridot answered back.

Yellow walked over and addressed the console. "This is Yellow Diamond to all deployed forces, what is your status?" she asked.

"This is Amethyst facet 3D9R, cut 4AA, we've lost half our fighting force but we're managing to push the enemy back." Came the static reply. Peridot had managed communications, but no visuals. There was a pause before the same voice came on again. "The enemy they're retreating! They're no, no they're not. What are they- What?! What in the-?!" the static grew louder until it was all that could be heard.

"What happened?" Yellow Diamond demanded.

"The interference! It's back and it's stronger than before. Attempting to compensate." The little green gem replied.

"We don't have time for this! Quartz soldiers!" She bellowed gaining the remaining soldiers attention, a scant dozen or so. "We move now!"

Blue looked to her sister and they locked eyes. They had a silent moment of understanding before Yellow marched off with their remaining forces. "Go save our sister, Yellow."

* * *

 _A few minutes earlier…_

* * *

Spinel was at her console again. Small pebbles came down from the ceiling as the whole place shook. "Sounds like my forces will be here very soon."

"Yes, they will be. But we haven't finished speaking yet." The rogue gem replied. She pressed a few final commands before stepping away from the console. The shaking grew more and more violent, but this time it didn't seem to be from the battle above but the entire building around them.

Pink looked about herself and then to Spinel. "What are you doing? What's going on?" she asked.

Spinel smirked. "A little something I like to call, Stage Three."

* * *

 **Done. By the way, my traffic suddenly jumped on Tuesday, but I posted nothing. You guys wouldn't happen to know why that is, would you?**


	17. Ch 17: Hope

**Chapter 17, you know the question from last chapter was rhetorical, right?**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 17: Hope

Yellow Diamond's large strides allowed her to race far ahead of the gems trailing behind her and her height allowed a greater vantage point. The stalks of mushrooms were getting thicker, taller and more densely gathered as she neared her soldier's positions.

One quartz was peering from behind a fallen fungus, scanning for any sign of the enemy when she spotted Yellow Diamond approached her. She gave the salute but did not stand to do it. Under normal circumstances Yellow would have disciplined this gem, but now was not the time. She bent down on one knee. "What's the situation here?" she asked.

"My Diamond, our forces were doing well. We drove back the armies of corrupted gems and the robonoids, but then-" The quartz was interrupted by a large explosion in the distance, causing both of them to look towards the source. A few more gems appeared to be running away from, at this distance Yellow couldn't be sure. Flashes of metallic gray could be seen through the space in the white mushroom trees. The gems then turned in their direction and their pursuer came crashing through the trees.

It was a large metallic sphere, crawling around on seven large, metal, insect-like legs. All across the surface of the sphere turrets shot at gems who scattered around it.

The other gems finally caught up to Yellow Diamond, looking up at the mighty machine in awe. "What is that thing?" Flint asked.

Yellow tightened her fist, a deep frown appearing on her face. "Scrap."

* * *

Pink could feel the area around her moving, yet she herself was stationary. "What's going on? What have you done?" she asked.

"Relax." Spinel replied. "This is doing little more than delaying the inevitable. And we still have much to discuss."

Pink was silent for a moment before returning to the previous subject. "What makes you think I can do anything about corruption?"

"Because I've seen you heal things before." The rogue gem replied, typing on her console again. This time showing Pink as she was back in Onyx's base, healing the root of the tree.

"You were watching us the whole time?" The young Diamond asked.

"When I could, yes. In truth, what I saw was rather limited, but like I said before I don't need much to fill in the blanks myself." She then turned away from her console to look the young Diamond in the eye. "Some sort of regenerative power, is it not?"

"I… am not sure." Pink replied truthfully. "It's not like I've tested it or anything." That was a lie. She had in fact tested it n some of the charred trees her sister had killed in the battle with the gem beast. But to no avail. She hadn't really had much chance to try anything else before they had left again for their final assault. "What, are you going to try and extract it from me so that you can finish the cure?"

"I could, but we don't really have that kind of time." The rogue gem replied, pulling out a device from the far side of the console. It looked like a mini injector pod, but with a handle.

"What is that?" asked the captive Diamond.

"My final gift to you." Spinel replied.

* * *

The gems scattered, caught between avoiding the fire of the metal construct and the fire coming from the remaining robonoids.

"Advance, flank the enemy!" Yellow ordered. The gems complied as best they could, attempting to fight back against the overwhelming force. Flint and Amethyst fought side by side, advancing as they dodged laser fire and smashed robonoids.

"Where is Pink Diamond?" Amethyst asked over the fire to her friend.

"Up there, somewhere!" Flint replied as they hid behind one of the mushroom trees. "We need to find a way to get up there."

"Or bring it down to us." The purple quartz added before pointing over to Yellow Diamond. The older Diamond in question had raised her hands in the air and started rotating them in small circles and the gems looked up to see dark cloud begin to form, a deep booming sound from the sky.

The grey quartz acted as quickly as she could. "GET OUT OF THERE!" she yelled to the gems closest to the machine's position. They began to scatter but too late as a massive bolt came down upon it, surrounding the area in blinding light for a brief moment.

 _ **KRA-KA-BOOM!**_

Came the accompanying sound of the thunder. As their eyes readjusted they looked to see that they great machine… had changed in absolutely no way.

Amethyst was dumbfounded. "What happened? Why is it still standing after that?"

Flint looked to see one of the legs of the machine had stuck itself in the ground. "The electricity just passed through it to the ground."

"Doing this the hard way then." Yellow said, narrowing her eyes and raising her hand to the air. The wind blew rapidly around her palm and electricity surged as she summoned her weapon. Yellow Diamond charged as shots were fired at her from the giant machine and the little ones remaining.

She dodged them with quickness and grace before sending out a wave electricity at some of the robonoids, causing them to explode. She turned her attention to the greater machine and jumped brandishing her sword. The turrets locked on and fired but Yellow blocked the bolts as they neared her. She raised her blade and struck down on one of the metal legs. However, the metal did not give in and caused the blade to bounce off. The elder Diamond landed nimbly on her feet and quickly jumped back as the attacked metal leg attempted retaliation, skewering the ground where she'd just stood.

Yellow pressed two fingers to her blade and it began to surge with energy. She dodged another attack by one of the legs, stepping to the side and this time cutting cleanly through the metal. The giant machine staggered back before reorienting itself with its remaining legs. It tried again to skewer her but again missed and hit the ground. Yellow swung again with her energized sword, but this time energy surged around the leg and negated her attack. "What?" she said aloud before another leg quickly acted on her opening and knocked her square across the chest, sending the Diamond flying through the air and landing hard again one of the fungal trees.

Flint turned around to the other gems who had cleared the space and were watching the Diamond fight the machine alone. "Are we just going to stand here?" With that the other gems rallied to her and began to attack as a group again the great machine and the lesser machines still scattered around it.

Amethyst meanwhile ran over to Yellow Diamond. "My Diamond, are you hurt?" she asked.

Yellow shook her head. "I'm fine." She said curtly, before eyeing the severed leg. She then turned to the purple quartz. "Bring me parts from those metal minions. I have an idea."

Amethyst did as she was told running over to the battlefield and grabbing as many piece as she could carry before running back to Yellow who in the meantime had grabbed the metal leg and with some twisting had snapped it into two pieces. The purple quartz laid down the pieces and Yellow laid down on her front, reaching over to the pile and crushing it into a metal ball.

"My Diamond, what are you-" The quartz began to ask before the Diamond shot her with a silencing look. Yellow then held the ball out for Amethyst to take. "Thank you?" she said confused.

"Stand here." Yellow said pointing to a spot just in front of her face. The gem did as she was bade and Yellow picked up the pieces of metal lining them up parallel to one another and aiming them towards the giant machine. "Hold up the ball between the metal poles." She ordered and the purple quartz did as she was told. Energy began to surge between the poles, dancing back and forth between them. Amethyst could feel it, it felt tingly. "Now be careful. If you don't do exactly as I say, you'll be launched at super high speeds and will most likely be either smashed against something and be destroyed or flung out into the far reaches of space, never to be seen again."

"What?!" The purple gem asked with sudden shock and worry.

The current began to intensify and Amethyst could feel the metal ball being pulled away from her and began to loosen her grip. "No! Not yet!" Yellow ordered. The purple quartz reluctantly tightened her hold as the pull became stronger and stronger. "Steady, steady… and…" the surge grew exponentially the pulling becoming almost more than Amethyst could fight against. "NOW!" she ordered. The purple quartz had been a bit late though, being pulled suddenly as she was letting go and causing her to fall on her face.

The metal ball however flew through the air and ripped right through the machine's hull. However, the shot had been off, only managing to gaze its side near the top.

Yellow stood up as the machine recovered from the attack, looking to the two metal poles in her hands, now horribly malformed, glowing red-hot with heat. She tossed them aside and looked down to the Amethyst, then to the hole and back. "If I toss you up there, do you think you can make it inside?" she asked her.

The purple quartz picked herself form the ground and looked to the opening. "I think so."

Yellow grabbed her around her waist and ran closer. "Good to hear." She jumped into the air and winded up. "Now GO!" said the Diamond throwing the gem through the air towards the opening. The purple gem managed to slip inside but the momentum carried her into the wall, smashing her face against its surface.

Amethyst got herself up and looked around. She had landed in some sort of large open hall, it was surprisingly empty and dark. She could make out cages and some sort of racks lined up against the wall but they were all empty now.

She heard a sudden thud behind her and the purple quartz turned to see her best friend smeared against the wall, just as she had been only seconds ago. Flint got up and shook her head, turning around and seeing Amethyst.

"Flint, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Saw you fly in here so I asked Yellow Diamond to do the same with me." The grey quartz replied with a smile.

Amethyst sighed and smiled. "Well, I guess if I had to fly into a giant metal death-sphere with anyone, I'm glad it's you."

"Great then let's shut this place down." Said Flint walking past her only to stop as soon as she did.

The grey quartz narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. Amethyst watched as she did this and followed her gaze to see what caused such a reaction.

On the far side of the room, standing side by side were Onyx and Zircon. They walked in tie with one another Onyx with a smug smile on her face while Zircon seemed expressionless.

"Glad to see you guys were able to make it." Onyx greeted. "For a while I thought we'd have to go outside, but nope, here you are. Very gracious of you."

"Well you know us, aim to please." Amethyst replied coolly.

Flint took an aggressive step forward. "You! You two blew up While Diamond's ship!"

"Yep, and this floor is metal and there's a hole in the ceiling. Now, if we're done stating the obvious shall we just get down to the nitty-gritty?" Onyx said summoning a whip while Zircon dropped into a fighting stance.

"Don't mind if I do!" Amethyst said jumping into the air and summoning her own weapon, attempting to slam them to the ground only for the both of them to jump away.

The purple quartz lunged after Zircon who dodged around her attacks. Amethyst took a swing but it phased right through the red gem who then kicked Amethyst away with the opening created.

The purple gem stood up as Flint came to her side. "My attack… it went right through her!" she said shocked.

"Yeah, she can do that." Onyx called out. Zircon rushed the two of them and Flint slashed at her with her sword only for the red gem to raise an arm and block it, the sword clanging against it. "She can also do that!" Onyx called out as she lashed her whip around Amethyst's leg and swung her around, knocking her into the wall. "C'mon make this fun for me!"

* * *

The fighting could be heard from below within Spinel's inner sanctum. Pink looked towards the ceiling. "Sounds like someone managed to get in."

"They won't get past Zircon and Onyx." Spinel replied, completely unfazed by the events around her. She continued typing away at the console, screens of data appeared. She turned to Pink. "This is all the data I've collected over the years concerning what we've talked about. If you have any lingering questions, I suggest you ask them of me. Time is short and growing shorter."

Pink blinked then turned serious. "What about back when we first found your robonoid on Igon? What were you doing there?"

"When I first began testing the cure, hoping that using primordial ooze could cure them, much of the ooze became tainted. In time, I had massive stores of it, so I decided to test it, but I needed a clean untainted kindergarten. I was curious what the effects would be, gems created from tainted primordial ooze. I was hoping it would give me insight into what the nature of corruption was, what the cure might truly be. Instead, all I did was create another monster." She paused just then, gathering her thoughts. "It was then I found a… secondary use for all the tainted ooze. I concentrated it into dense batches and gave them to my friends. I found that it could multiply a gem's strength many times over, but at a cost."

"Corruption." Pink finished.

"Worse. It degrades the very core of a gem's being the longer it's used, and eventually it will shatter the gem." Spinel corrected.

"You gave that to your friends knowing it could _destroy_ them?" Pink asked.

"I told them of the risks, but what choice did we have? One on one against a _Diamond_? We needed any advantage we could get. Diopside was the most willing to accept the risk, hoping that it would give her enough strength to defend her friends. Always so rash that one." Said Spinel wistfully. "The first one for last resort."

"Why me? Why are you putting so much trust in me?" Pink asked.

"I don't have any better options left." The rogue gem replied truthfully. "To be honest, it was White Diamond I wanted captured, not you."

"Why her?" The young Diamond asked.

"Because…. because she wasn't always as she was." Spinel replied. "You might not know this but she was once kind, and good to gems. But after the appearance of your sisters, she changed. By the time I was made she had long since been changed. Still, with my power, I could always sense it within her, that kindness, I wanted to bring it about again. But now she's gone and it's now you I must pin my hopes on."

"You're talking about this 'gift' of yours." Pink concluded.

"That's right." She said, walking away from her console and holding up the device. "This is something I made based on the designs of our very own injector pods. I call it the essence extractor."

"An appropriate name I imagine." Pink commented.

"Indeed." Spinel replied. "This will allow me to give you my gift." She looked at it, with some sorrow. "I actually devised this when I thought a cure impossible. I hoped that I could perhaps 'cut off' the infected parts of gems and it would be enough to allow a gem to retain their form. But no, gems would always form only in incomplete versions of themselves. Failures, as always." She said, her voice seeping in frustration.

"Now you're going to use it to give me your power? How do you even know it'll work?"

"I don't." The rogue gem responded. "I don't even know how it might affect you in other ways, but this is my best shot, so I'm taking it." With that she placed the device over her arm, where her gem was located. It clamped down on her appendage and a drill bit started whirling and digging into the gem. Spinel gritted her teeth but eventually the pain was too much. She cried out in pain and agony as the gem was being drilled into. Her physical form began to flicker but she held on and then the whirling stopped and Spinel fell to her knees, now flickering, her physical form now very unstable.

Spinel got to her feet, Pink's expression on of shock. "What did you do to yourself?"

"What I had to." Spinel answered as she held up the extractor and pulled out its vial, now filled with some sort of glowing substance, not unlike primordial ooze. "You need to take this, and drink."

Pink seemed hesitant and Spinel sighed. "Look, I know what I've told you is a lot to accept and you still have doubts, I can still sense that much. Maybe you even think there's a chance I'm wrong about all this. But even if that were true, can you really take the chance that I'm right?"

The young Diamond thought on this. There was indeed a part of her that wanted to deny everything. A part that wanted to remain loyal to her sisters and everything she'd been taught about them for the past millennia. But one development after another had quickly eroded away the perfect image Pink had had of the Diamond Authority. Now this gem before her, a so-called rebel, a menace to all gem-kind, had been very forthright with her.

"Before I agree, I need to know one more thing. Do…. Do you really expect me to shatter my sisters?" Pink asked.

"The way the Diamond authority are now, they are a threat to all forms of life in the cosmos. One way or the other they need to be stopped." Spinel replied.

"What if there's another way?" The young Diamond asked.

"You care very much for your sisters, don't you?" Spinel asked. Pink nodded and the rogue gem smiled. "I really hope they are deserving of that love. But think about this, if it comes down to it, would you be willing to let all other life suffer or die so that they may live?"

"It won't come to that." Pink replied adamantly.

"I guess we'll see about that, won't we?" said Spinel, she then held up the vial. "Now take this, and prove I wasn't wrong trusting you."

* * *

Yellow Diamond and the remaining gems continued to fight against the great machine. The remaining robonoids had been wiped out but could do little more than hold out against the assault of the metal giant.

Yellow gritted her teeth, being the bulwark against its firepower had taken a lot out of her. She hadn't expected to have to fight so hard for so long. "What is taking them?"

Just then a Pink blur bounded through the air, bouncing off the legs and quickly disappearing down the hole in the machine's head. "What was-?"

* * *

Amethyst and Flint fought hard against the rogue gems but were being pushed back, their teamwork flawless. Onyx changed her weapon to sickle, pulling Flint's leg out from under her and causing her to fall to the ground. "See ya." She brought down the sickle only to be blocked by a pink-white rapier. Onyx looked up to see Pearl's grin. The thin gem quickly capitalized on her sudden arrival and flung the sickle out of Onyx's hand before wheeling around and kicking her across her mid-section, sending her flying away.

Flint was astonished. "Pearl! What are you doing here?' she asked.

"Like I'm just going to stay behind while our Diamond is being held captive?" The lithe gem replied with the same grin. She extended a hand to Flint who graciously took it.

"Listen, Pink is somewhere deeper inside, you need to find her." Flint said. "Well hold these two off here."

Pearl nodded before running off towards the far side of the room where a door was.

Onyx charged Pearl changing her sickle to a spear. "You aren't going anywhere!"

"That's my line!" Flint said as she blocked the rogue gem's blow, allowing Pearl to slip past.

"No!" Onyx called out, braking away from Flint. "Zirc! It's time to stop messing around!"

The red gem nodded to her sister and broke away from Amethyst. The two rogue gems gathered together as the two quartzes did the same. Zircon and Onyx held hands then the red gem spun her sister around in a dance and twirled her before throwing Onyx into the air. The two gems collided and combined and before them stood a gem with wild, crazy hair on the top of her head, but was straight and neat on the sides. She was a hue of stripes, dark greys and reds with three arms, two on each side and one that came from her back like a tail and longer that the other two. "Axinite. Let's… go…" the fusion said. It sounded like it was struggling with the words.

"Amethyst. Let's fuse." The grey quartz suggested. Amethyst chuckled a bit at that. "What's so funny?"

"That you'd be the one to suggest we fuse, it's funny. That's all." Amethyst then quickly grabbed Flint around the waist and leaned her down in a dance. Their forms glowed and a dull-purple gem with four arms and gray-purple braided hair. "I was beginning to think I'd never see the light of day again." She said with a grin. "Name's Tourmaline." With that she summoned Amethyst's mace in one hand and Flint's sword in another and smashed then together, producing a large, long cudgel from the light. The rushed forward and clashed.

* * *

Pearl ran through the structure, quickly heading down the stairs and coming to stop in front of a large sealed entryway. The lithe gem pressed her hand up against it. "This must be it." She attempted to pull the doors apart, but they didn't budge. She tried to put her sword through the seams in the door to pry it open, but it didn't work either. Pearl sighed, she really didn't like doing this. She held out her sword in front of her and began to rotate it in circles, faster and faster. Soon a pink-white circle of energy formed itself and with one last motion Pearl thrusted into the circle, passing through it and stopping on the other side to the astonished looks of both Pink Diamond and Spinel.

"Pearl!" Pink exclaimed. "How did you-"

"No time, my Diamond." Pearl said, looking to Spinel. "It's over, rogue!"

"Wait, you don't-" Spinel said before Pearl charged her. The rogue gem was pushed to the ground and Pearl held her blade up ready to strike.

"Pearl! Stop!" Pink ordered.

The lithe gem looked back to her Diamond in confusion. "What?"

Spinel took the opportunity to crawl out from under Pearl, the gem moved to detain Spinel but Pink called out again. "Pearl!"

"But, my Diamond, she-" The lithe gem attempted to argue.

"Wait, just wait." Spinal said, walking over to the console. Pearl watched her carefully but remained where she was as the rogue gem began to press commands into the console. The field around the young Diamond came down and Pearl dismissed her sword, quickly going to her Diamond's side as she stood up to her full height.

"Are you hurt?" Pearl asked.

"No, I'm fine." She replied. Pink then walked over to Spinel and leaned down. "Give it here."

"Really?" asked the rogue gem. "You're sure? There's no turning back."

"No, I'm not. I still have my doubts. But, you're right, the alternative is far worse." The young Diamond said taking the vial.

"My Diamond, what is that?" Pearl asked.

"I'll explain later." Pink replied before downing the substance in one gulp. "Huh, I thought I'd feel… different."

"The effect won't be immediate." Said Spinel. She then sighed, going over to the console and sending in a few commands. "There, the base's defenses will be down, this place should be coming down in just a few minutes which leaves just one thing."

"I am so utterly confused." Said Pearl exasperatedly.

Spinel looked to Pink Diamond, a weary smile on her face. "You need to shatter me."

* * *

Axinite and Tourmaline's battle raged on, exchanging blows. Tourmaline was beginning to get the upper hand as Axinite kept changing weapons. "You can't keep it up for very long can you? That phasing-through ability." The quartz fusion taunted.

Axinite grimaced, turning her sword she'd been using into a war hammer. She swung it but Tourmaline ducked and punched her in the side. The rogue fusion gritted her teeth but turned her arm-tail into flail, turning around quickly and knocking Tourmaline away.

The quartz fusion recovered as Axinite jumped up and slammed her fist into ground as Tourmaline rolled out of the way. The ground around them trembled and both fusions lost their footing. "Too… much… falling…. apart…" The rogue fusion said slowly. As she began to glow and drift apart.

Tourmaline tried to charge her but Axinite recovered just in time. She phased through the quartz fusion's attack and punched her hard in the stomach sending Tourmaline flying into the opposite wall. As Tourmaline hit the wall a bright light signed and Flint and Amethyst fell apart.

Axinite tried to advance only to fall apart as well, Onyx and Zircon now huddled together as Amethyst picked herself up. "Zirc…" she whispered to her sister. "You've overused your power too much, you know what'll-"

She stopped as she noticed the purple quartz attempting to charge them. Onyx tried to defend her sister, but she was also drained and was knocked out of the way by Amethyst.

Zircon attempted to stand up but was quickly knocked back down as Amethyst towered over her. She raised her mace. "This is for all the gems you've made suffer."

Onyx recovered just in time to watch Amethyst bring down her mace. "No! STOOOP!"

The red gem on Zircon's arm exploded into shards, her physical form fading away as she gave one last tearful look to her sister.

Flint had also sat up just in time to see what had happened. "Amethyst…" she said slowly.

The rogue gem's eyes began to stream with tears as she quickly got to her feet and charged the quartz. Amethyst quickly moved to block her but Onyx had transformed her weapon into a whip and yanked her feet out from under her, pulling her close before quickly transforming the weapon into a blade, cutting the quartz squarely across the stomach.

Amethyst gave one last look to Flint before her physical form faded, her gem hitting the ground. Onyx transformed her blade into a war hammer. The grey quartz saw as her friend too was shattered into shards, tears streaming from both of the remaining gems as the rogue gem allowed her weapon to disappear.

* * *

Outside Yellow and the other gems continued the pounding on the machine's hull. "Keep it up we almost have it down!" The older Diamond ordered. The structure indeed began to buckle and the legs collapsed. "They did it." Yellow said as she walked forward towards the structure.

From within the shell a Pink fist emerged, peeling back the remaining metal before stepping outside. At her heels were Pearl, Flint, and Amethyst.

"Pink! Thank the stars you're safe." Yellow said as she stepped closer to her sister. "Is it over?" she asked.

Pink held out her hand, turning it over and showing black, darkened, gem shards. "It's over."

* * *

 **Done. Reviews would be nice.**


	18. Ch 18: Triumvirate

**Chapter 18, rogue arc is done, new stuff, what could it be?**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 18: Triumvirate

Pink Diamond sat alone aboard her sister's ship, inside a room delegated to her.

It was over, all over.

The rogue gems, the fighting, it was done now.

So why didn't she feel happy?

She heard her door opening and saw as Pearl had escorted Peridot, Flint and Amethyst into the room. "Here they are, my Diamond."

"Thank you, Pearl." The young Diamond said softly. Her gaze immediately fell on the purple quartz. "You can drop the façade now."

"Thanks." She replied, a glow surrounding her form before fading to show Onyx. "It's a bit trying to hold a form without any breaks for more than a few hours."

Flint had been glaring at her the whole time. "Hmpf, I thought it was your specialty. Is it too much for you to handle?"

Onyx returned the glare. "No, but then it's not like I would expect a grunt like you to understand."

The grey quartz gritted her teeth, taking an aggressive step forward. "What did you say to me?!"

"What?! Hard of hearing too?!" The shapeshifting gem returned, mirroring Flint's aggression.

Flint summoned her weapon. "Give me a reason! Just give me ONE!" she bellowed taking another step closer.

"Enough!" Pink shouted, gaining the sudden attention of all present. "You are not here to fight amongst each other!"

The grey quartz anger flickered for a moment but was soon back in force. "My Diamond, Pink, how could you let her live, let alone _join_ us after all she's done?!"

Pink grimaced at that as she thought back to inside Spinel's machine.

* * *

"You need to shatter me." Spinel said, wearily smiling.

Pink was taken aback at that, though not nearly as much as Pearl who had even less context to the situation she was witnessing. "You _want_ to be shattered?"

"Your sisters won't stop until they're sure all of the rogue gems are in pieces before them, you know that." Spinel replied before looking to her arm, the hole now forming cracks all over the gem. "Besides, after what I did, I'm going to be shattered soon anyways."

She didn't know what to say. "I'm… sorry…" Pink said slowly, confusing Pearl all the more.

"Don't be, you've given me hope that things might change." Spinel smiled to herself her physical form flickering more drastically now. "It's funny, trusting you like this, after we just met. But I do have a last request."

"What is it?" asked Pink.

"Zircon and Onyx, they're my best friends. If you could find a way to spare them, I'd be indebted to you forever."

"I will do all I can to make sure they're safe." Pink said solemnly, raising a single fist.

"Thank you." She was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath,\ and closing her eyes. "I'm ready."

… _ **WHAM**_

* * *

She shook her mind of these thoughts and focused on the two gems ready to tear each other apart. "Flint, please, I need you to trust me."

The grey quartz's anger dissipated a bit at that, quickly turning into hurt and confusion. "I want to, my Diamond, I really do. But you refuse to tell us anything and the gem who destroyed my best friend is two feet away from me, how can you expect me to stay calm and do _nothing_?! Didn't you care about Amethyst?!"

This time it was Pink's turn to look hurt. "How could you even ask that?" Pink said, the authority in her voice being replaced by a sorrowful plea. "She was one of my first friends, one of my _best_ friends."

"But you _insult_ her memory by letting her live and with _us_?! Her closest friends?!" The other gems looked astonished that Flint would ever speak to Pink in such a manner, all except Onyx whose jaw tightened and brow furrowed as Flint went on her tirade.

The shapeshifting gem exploded. "You think you're the only one who's lost people?! The only one who's suffered?!" Tears began to well in her eyes. "Your best friend shattered my sister in front of my eyes! Did you really expect me to do nothing?!"

"I said ENOUGH!" Pink bellowed as she rose from her chair. "When we get back to Homeworld, I promise, we'll all have a long talk about this. But please, until then, just do as I say."

Flint said nothing, looking to the floor and shaking her head before leaving through the door. Pink watched her go and looked to Peridot. "Go with mer, make sure she's alright."

"Me? What can I do?" The green gem asked. PD fixed her with a look and she held up her hands. "Okay, okay, I'll… go talk to her… I guess." With that she too left the room.

Almost as soon as Peridot left the door opened again, but this time revealed another pearl, Yellow's by the looks of it. She strode right past Pearl and 'Amethyst' and addressed Pink directly. "My Diamond, Yellow Diamond requests your presence in the Diamond room."

The Diamond room, what Yellow had named as the resting place for their dear sister. "Very well, tell her I'm on my way."

"My Diamond she insisted that I escort you, immediately." The pearl replied.

Pink sighed and looked to the remaining two gems. "You two are dismissed." She then turned back to the servant gem. "Very well, lead the way."

"Excellent, follow me, please." The pearl requested politely.

* * *

Yellow was staring out into nothing, lost in thought when she heard the doors whoosh open behind her. She turned to see Pink enter. "Pink Diamond, as you requested, my Diamond."

"Good, that will be all." Yellow said clapping her hands together as the pearl left.

The younger Diamond looked to her elder sister, then to the side as she noticed her less-elder sister leaning against the wall. "So, what is it Yellow?"

"I just wanted to ask you, one more time. Are you sure you discovered nothing inside that machine?" she asked.

"She wanted information out of me, not the other way around." Pink said, lying coolly. She didn't like it, but she couldn't be sure of her sister's reactions.

Yellow eyed her carefully, as if expecting something more from her but then turned around, facing White Diamond's suspended and still inert gem. "I do hope you revealed nothing important. Well, not that it would matter now that all the rogue gems have been dealt with."

"Is this all you called me for? To ask me things you've already asked?" Asked Pink dryly.

Yellow narrowed her eyes. "Don't get uppity, Pink." She advised. "No, I asked you here because now that we're heading back to Homeworld, it's time to discuss the future."

"Meaning what?" Asked the youngest sister.

"White is out of commission and thus the duty of leading our people falls to me." Yellow declared.

Pink looked to Blue. "And you have no objections to this?"

"She is the eldest, and she is right. With White gone we need someone to lead our people." Blue said.

"I thought we'd agreed to rule as equals. That there would be no secrets between us anymore." Pink countered.

"White was a good leader, but she is no longer here." Yellow asserted. "And while I may not have agreed with all her policies, I do agree with one." She turned to look at her youngest sister. "There needs to be a single leader ultimately making the decisions."

"Funny, as I remember it that was always the one you were against." Pink shot back. "Had a change of heart now that it benefits you instead?"

Yellow gave a sneer. "I'm not going to act like White and do whatever I feel is right without taking yours and Blue's feelings on matters into account." She said. "But there are some decisions that need decisive action, decisions in which I cannot wait on you and her."

"And I suppose you'll also decide what constitutes what situation qualifies such action?" Pink said, pressing .

"Pink, that's enough." Blue spoke up.

The young Diamond turned to her. "Blue, you can't seriously be okay with that."

Blue closed her eyes and sighed. "Pink, what we've been through these last few weeks, they've possibly been the most straining of my entire existence." She opened her eyes again, looking to her. "I want things to go back to the way they were." She then turned to White's gem, still floating suspended. "Or at least as much as they can."

Yellow took a step closer, placing a hand on Pink's shoulder. "Our people need to know that we're still strong Pink, that their Diamonds are still here. When White reforms I promise, I'll return the power and then all four of us can lead our glorious empire as equals." She took her hand off as Pink looked her in the eye. "I want there to be trust between us again, all of us." She finished looking to Blue who stepped closer so now all three sisters were practically huddled together.

This time Pink gave a sigh. She _did_ want to trust her sisters, she really did. Empirical evidence, however, was making that rather difficult. She knew they were still hiding things from her, and possibly from each other, but now she was hiding things from them as well, _big_ things. So, if nothing else, at least they were now all being mutually distrustful of each other.

What incredibly cold comfort that was.

"Alright. We'll do it this way, for now." She conceded, smiles forming on both her sister's faces at the sound of her words.

Blue stepped forward grasping Pink's hand. "You'll see, Pink. Everything's going to be alright."

Pink gave her sister a weary smile. "I hope, so Blue."

* * *

 _Later in the Diamond's Throne Room…_

* * *

Yellow Diamond stepped in first, holding White Diamond's gem in the palm of her hand. Blue followed after closely followed by Pink.

"It feels like it's been forever since we were back here." Blue said wistfully.

"I know, after all the craziness, to be back here. It's strange." Pink agreed.

Yellow turned to her sisters, a look of seriousness about her. "Enough with the reminiscing." She held up White's gem. "We need to discuss the matter of White's condition."

"What about it?" Pink asked. "Shouldn't we just wait until she reforms?"

"We have no idea how long that could take." Yellow replied. "We've already tried the synthesized gel to try and repair her, but it hasn't worked." She said pointing to the think crack along the surface of the gem. "We need something stronger."

"The primordial gel." Blue finished.

"Exactly." Yellow confirmed. "If there's anything that could fix her it's that. So, step on." She said indicating the circle in the center of the room. The three of them stepped on and down, down, down they descended.

The made their way down the hallway and found themselves in the primordial gel chamber once more. The bright white substance bubbled below as Yellow and her sisters looked to their eldest sister's gem. "Time to see if this works." Yellow said before leaning down to the pool and placing the gem within. It immediately sank with a single bubble.

They waited.

Then they waited some more.

Nothing.

"It's not working." Blue said discouraged.

"Maybe her gem's been fixed but she still needs to take some time to reform?" Pink suggested.

Yellow knelt down and reached into the white ooze, moving her arm about its surface before removing it, White Diamond's gem in tow. She shook some of the gel off and revealed the gem of White Diamond, but upon closer inspection the think white crack was still there.

"It didn't work." Pink said sadly.

Yellow sighed, lowering her arm. "Come, I have another idea." She said turning around.

Her sisters followed her back up the elevator shaft, but instead of stopping in the throne room they continued onwards and upwards. "Where are we going?" Pink asked.

"To White Diamond's personal chambers." Yellow replied.

This was a bit of a surprise. White never allowed people into her own room, not even her own sisters.

Not that there was much point in going there either though.

Pink, in the thousand years she'd spent on Homeworld hadn't seen White so much as move from her chair each and every time she'd had visited in the past. This had been so consistently true that Pink had begun to suspect that White's personal room _was_ the throne room.

The elevation pad stopped and the three stood in front of an ornately decorated door of white. Yellow stepped forward and pushed it open. The three sisters all looked around with mild curiosity at their eldest sister's inner sanctum.

The room was sparse, colored with light greys, silvers and whites, just like its owner. It had light furnishings, a desk, a personal console, several fancy chairs. A large, clear, door to the outside was on the opposite wall, leading out onto a balcony. On the walls the earliest murals could be seen, mostly of White during her time alone and some of Yellow when she was created.

"Are we just going to leave White in here?" asked Pink.

Yellow didn't answer, instead she walked over to the console, pulling over a chair and sitting down as she accessed it. She began to type in commands and her two younger sisters came up behind Yellow, looking over her shoulder. "What are you doing Yellow?" Blue asked.

"White once told me of a contingency plan, long ago, when it was only she and I." Their elder sister replied before pressing a final set of keys and the wall next to them began to shudder. It opened up and revealed another, smaller room. The three stepped inside but within, there was only a mirror, taking up the entire opposite wall, a small indent near the top-center of it. "She told me that if her physical form were to be destroyed, I should come here. And place her gem there." Yellow said pointing to the indent.

"What is it? What will it do?" Pink asked.

"I'm not sure." Yellow said walking nearer to the mirror and holding out White's gem looking from it to the indent and back.

"What if it's the wrong thing to do?" Pink asked.

"It's not like we have any better options." Blue countered.

"Enough." Yellow said. "This is what White told me to do, let's see how this plays out." With that she reached up to the top of the mirror and placed White's gem within, it slid in easily and held its place, filling in the gap and making the mirror seem complete.

White gem glowed for a moment.

They waited for anything more to happen.

Then they waited some more.

Still nothing.

"Nothing's happening." Pink said dejectedly.

Blue then stepped forward, reaching for White's gem. "Perhaps we can try-" she was interrupted as the mirror seemed to vibrate, rippling, then it becoming calm again.

"What was that?" Pink asked. "What's it doing?"

"Working." Yellow said, intrigued. Blue pulled back as Yellow stepped forward. "White? Can you hear me? Hear us?"

The mirrored surface rippled again and suddenly the visage of Yellow was shown again instead of their current positions. "Can. Hear. You." The mirror echoed, matching Yellow Diamond's inflections perfectly, though saying it out of order had made it sound distorted.

The youngest sister clasped her hands together in excitement, her eyes tearing up with pure joy. "White! Thank the stars!"

Blue, too, was thankful, tears beginning to well up in her eyes as well. "I'm… I'm so glad."

Even the stoic Yellow felt a great relief and happiness flow over and through her. "White, it is good to hear from you, even in this form."

"Good. To. Hear. You… Glad." It echoed again.

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Pink asked the mirror.

It was silent. "She must only be able to answer us by using things she's heard already." Blue hypostasized.

"In that case." Yellow said. "Yes. No."

The mirror remained still and silent.

"Try again, Pink." She suggested.

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Pink asked once more.

The mirror remained still and silent.

"Perhaps she's not sure herself." Said Blue.

"Not. Sure. Yes." The mirror said, rippling the reflection and inflections of Blue and Yellow.

"What do you think we should do?" Blue asked it.

"Not. Sure. Anything. Can. Help." It replied.

"Should we tell the rest of our Empire about this?" Pink asked her sisters.

"NO!" the reflection said, somehow amplifying its sound.

"You don't want them to know?" Pink asked.

"No. Don't. Want. Empire. To. Know." The mirror replied.

"She doesn't want the Empire to know of her condition." Yellow concluded. "She fears what it may cause within our empire if they lose faith in their leaders, isn't that right?"

The mirror remained still for a moment. "Yes. Leaders. Help. Empire. Don't. Lose. Faith. In. Leaders." It replied in its broken way.

"White there's something else you should know. We know about your spies, everything is out in the open now." Pink said to the reflection.

The reflection remained still and silent.

"Was that really necessary?" Yellow asked.

"You said it yourself, we need everything out in the open. No more lies, not between us." Pink countered.

"Necessary. No. Lies. Not. Necessary." The reflection echoed brokenly.

"Is she trying to say, she's sorry?" Blue asked aloud.

The mirror paused for what seemed like the longest time. "Yes. Sorry. Really. Sorry." It replied. "Spies. Not. Necessary. Us. Lose. Faith."

"'Us lose faith'?" Pink repeated aloud, confused.

"I believe she meant 'I lost faith'." Yellow corrected.

"Yes." It answered. "I lost faith. In. You. Sorry. Really. Sorry."

"It's not like you were wrong to." Blue said sadly. "We've all made mistakes."

The room fell silent as all three sisters looked to the floor shamefully.

"At any rate, we need to decide what to tell our citizens."

"Citizens. Must. Not. Know. Empire. Needs. Leader." It said, managing to break off the "s" in its recorded word.

"Leader? As in one? Like how you did it before?" Pink asked.

"Yes." The mirror vibrated. "One. Only. Necessary. Not. More. You. Help. Her."

Pink wasn't sure what to do. She felt like things were being decided without her again but what could she do? The sister who wanted the power would obviously not object to her own appointment. Blue had already seemed content to let Yellow have her way. Even White, whom she expected to be resistant to Yellow rise, seemed to be endorsing her now.

"I already told you Pink, things will be much better than they were before." She then turned to look at the embedded gem in the mirror. "And when White reforms, the four of us will properly decide things between ourselves. But, until that time comes, someone needs to take the reins and lead our people. White, again, it is good to hear from you. Thank you for your council, we'll visit soon and often."

"Yes. Often. Thank you." It repeated.

With that three turned and left the room, taking the elevator down and each ascending their respective thrones.

"So, What now?" Blue asked.

"Now we need to send news of our victory and our triumph." Yellow said, accessing her throne's console. "Connect to communications." She ordered.

After a moment, a voice spoke up. "This is the Intergalactic Communications line. How may I help you?" came the nasally voice.

"This is Yellow Diamond, I need a priority message broadcasted to every corner of the empire and I need it now." Said Yellow commandingly.

"It will take a few minutes to enact such an order." It replied.

"Do it as quickly as you can. I do not wish my time wasted." Yellow ordered.

After a few more moments, the voice came back on. "It is ready, my Diamond."

"Very good." Yellow cleared her throat then spoke in the most authoritative tone she could summon. "Citizens of the Empire, as you may or may not be aware our society was threatened by a group of rebel gems. They attempted to disrupt and destroy our way of life. However, be not afraid, your glorious leaders managed to eliminate the threat and ensure your safety. Let it be known that these rebellious pieces of rock were shattered, all of them scattered to the cosmic winds. Let it be known to any other gems listening with plans of insurgency or ideas of revolt, remember what happened to the last gems to attempt such a thing. Let it be known that your leaders Blue Diamond, Pink Diamond, White Diamond, and I, Yellow Diamond, are invincible and eternal! May all bask in the glory of the Diamonds!"

* * *

 _Some time later…_

* * *

Blue Diamond stood in the nearly empty room of Pink Diamond, looking to her sister who was making final preparations on her console. "You're really sure you want to do this? You just got home."

"It's alright, I've never liked being anywhere too long anyways." Pink said, almost dismissively, still concentrating on the last few commands as she typed away.

Blue stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Something's bothering you. There's a reason behind this decision. Was it because of those rogue gems?"

The younger Diamond sighed as she finished her last command. "No, I mean yes, it is, but… there's more to it."

"You're holding back on something, aren't you?" Blue asked.

Pink was silent, her frown deepening. "It hurts, doesn't it? When those close to you won't tell you everything." She said after a few moments.

"Yes, it does." Blue confirmed, her own frown forming.

The younger Diamond suddenly stood up and turned around hugging her sister. "There's… so much I want to say… so much I want to tell you…"

The older Diamond was surprised at the sudden embrace, but returned it gently. "You can tell me, Pink. I promise, It's okay."

Pink broke the embrace and smiled sadly, holding her sister's hand in hers. "I will… one day…. But please… just let me go…. Let me have time to think."

"I'm not happy to see you leave. But, I understand. Just know, I'll always be here, if you want to talk." Blue replied.

"That means more to me then you'll ever know." Pink said. She squeezed her sister's hands comfortingly before walking past and leaving her room.

Blue looked after her younger sister with sorrow. "Goodbye, Pink."

Pink made her way to the Diamond's throne room and soon found herself in front of its door. She took a breath and opened the door. For a moment Pink took a deep intake a breath, she saw a flash of white and though she saw her elder sister, but after her eyes adjusted she saw it was not White, But Yellow Diamond sitting in her throne and running through the daily needs of the empire.

Yellow took notice of her sister's presence and dismissed the data screens in front of her. "So, I take it all your preparations have been made then?" Yellow asked.

"They have." Pink replied.

Yellow sighed. "I don't see why you decided on this."

"I know, and that's part of the problem." The young Diamond replied. "Yellow, our people respect us, but they also _fear_ us."

"As they should. Defiance of us should have the most severe of consequences." Yellow replied.

"But what about the ones that have always been loyal? Is their reward to live in constant dread of us? They need to see that we're here for them, as much as they are here for us." Pink argued.

Yellow closed her eyes for a moment. "You've always been too soft, Pink. And truthfully, I'm against this." She paused. "But, you seem set on this course of action, and there may yet be some truth to what you say. So, I approve of your journey."

Pink drew near and Yellow stepped down from her throne. "Thank you, Yellow, this means a lot to me."

Pink was surprised as Yellow was the one to take the initiative and pen her arms for Pink to rush in and hug her. "Take care, my youngest sister. I'll miss you dearly."

"I'll be back before you know it." Pink said, her voice laced with the copious amounts of emotions she was feeling, both of joy and sorrow.

Pink walked out of the throne room and descended the lift, making her way out the doors of the grand spire and being greeted as hundreds of gems lined the walkways as Pink made her way to her ship. Pearl watched as she approached the boarding ramp, a king and patient smile on her lips.

"Everything is taken care of then?" Pearl asked.

"Yes, Peridot's been left in charge of the spire and I gave her the data, she'll be contacting us soon enough." Pink replied.

"Very good, my Diamond." Pearl responded. "Shall I get the others?"

"Please, and invite them into my private quarters, there's a conversation that's long overdue." Pink said.

She then went to the bridge of her ship. The sounds of simultaneous greetings filling the air. "Set course, gems. Our journey begins now."

"Our E.T.A. for our first destination is with a few short hours, my Diamond." The helmsman replied.

"Very good. I am to remain otherwise uninterrupted until then." Pink ordered, to which the gem nodded in response.

Pink made her way down to her room where she was greeted by Pearl, Flint and Onyx, the latter two were kept a distance apart do as to prevent further fighting. The Diamond entered and closed the door behind her. "I owe you answers, all of you. And we're going to have a lot of time together, so, let's start from the beginning, shall we?" With that Pink's ship climbed into the atmosphere of Homeworld before its engines fire up and it blasted off into the sea of stars.

* * *

 _Some Nineteen thousand years later…_

* * *

Blue Diamond waited patiently with her pearl by her side as the winds of Homeworld blew around her. She looked up to see a familiar ship beginning its descent through the atmosphere. The gems around her began to salute before the ship touched down. The boarding ramp lowered and out came Pink Diamond and her Pearl.

Blue crossed her arms. "You're late." She said admonishingly.

Pink shrugged. "Couldn't be helped, had to pass through an asteroid field."

"One that, I'm sure you had _nothing_ to do with running into." Blue said.

"Well, it's not like those pilots had anything better to do." Pink replied.

The two paused, Blue holding her admonishing appearance and Pink to her smug dismissive look before both began to smile. They rushed towards each other and embraced. Blue picking up Pink and spinning her in a circle once before setting her down.

"It's beyond good to see you." Blue said, her happiness apparent.

"Blue, c'mon, you're acting like you haven't seen me since I left Homeworld." Pink reminded.

They started walking down the path towards the Diamond's tower. "It's not like I could just drop everything and leave to see you, you know. At least not more than once every fifteen hundred years or so." Blue countered. "With Yellow here, I have to oversee colonies' constructions all by myself. I wasn't like you, off taking the grandest and longest tour of _all_ our known colonies in the entire Empire."

"Well I wanted to get the fullest experience I could, and with thousands of worlds to visit…" Pink trailed off. "Anyways, how have things been with the new colonies? Uneventful I presume?"

"You presume correctly." Blue replied.

Pink lowered her voice a bit, nearly at a whisper. "And White…?" Blue shook her head. "If we could I'd like to see her before Yellow."

"She won't like it." Blue commented. "But, I guess it can't hurt too much."

"Great." Pink said as they stepped inside the grand spire and ascended up and past the throne room, arriving at White's personal chambers, leaving their pearls standing just outside of it.

They entered the mirror room and Pink stood in front of it once more, Blue at her side. The mirror seemed to rippled at their presence before it spoke with a voice like Yellow's and Blue's together, with a bit of Pink's own mixed in. "Hello Pink Diamond." It no longer showed their reflections as it spoke, instead constantly rippling and vibrating against the wall.

"Hello White, have things been going well?" she asked.

"As well as they can be, being stuck here." It replied.

"No luck so far on getting help then." Pink said dejectedly.

"Our scientists are working all the time to get closer to finding a way to heal White's gem." Blue whispered to her younger sister.

"You've been gone a long time." The mirror said to her.

"I was going to each and every one of our colony worlds, White. I wanted to get to know them, to know our people." Pink explained.

"I hope it went well." It responded.

"It did, thank you." Said Pink with a smile.

"Pink, we should get to Yellow." Blue reminded.

Pink nodded to her sister, then looked back to the mirror. "I promise to visit again, real soon."

"I'll be waiting." It replied.

Pink and Blue made their way back to the elevator and made their way down. "She seems like she's adjusted well." Pink commented.

"Well enough, considering circumstances." Blue replied as they neared the throne room doors.

Yellow watched them as they came in, her eyes fixated on her youngest sister. They each ascended their respective thrones and Yellow finally addressed Pink. "So, finally back are we?" she asked.

"I am." Pink replied. "And I believe that my sojourn across our Empire has been a huge success."

"I do hope so." Yellow replied. "I would hate for you to have wasted nearly twenty thousand years over nothing."

"I assure you, it wasn't." Pink politely replied.

"At any rate, it's time to get down to real business." Said Yellow.

"What do you mean?" the young Diamond asked.

"Since your departure, White's internment in that mirror upstairs, and my own here managing the affairs of Homeworld, Blue has had to take on all the responsibility of constructing our colonies." Yellow narrowed her eyes at Pink. "No more. Our Empire must expand and you must accept your responsibility."

"Meaning what?" asked Pink.

"Meaning that you're going to get your _own_ colony to look after." Blue said from her side of the room.

"What? Really? You want me to make colonies?" asked the young Diamond.

"I had hoped that I would eventually return to this task myself, but White's recovery has proven more… complicated than first thought. So, I must continue to stay here and you must go in my place." Yellow explained.

Pink was silent for a moment, she hadn't really though much about colony making in these past few thousand years. She had mostly been preoccupied with simply getting to know the ones they already had, as well as becoming familiar with what becoming a colony had cost some of these planets.

"I suppose you're not giving me a choice in this." Pink asked.

"No." Yellow replied curtly.

The youngest Diamond sighed. "Fine, what's the name of this planet?"

Yellow pressed a button on her console and a spherical hologram appeared in the center of the room. "What do you know about a planet called Earth?"

* * *

 **Haha! Finally getting to what I know you've all been waiting for! Whoo! This is gonna be** _ **FUN**_ **! Also review please.**


	19. Ch 19: Prologue

**Chapter 19, here we are at Earth, bet you never thought we'd get here, huh? Still I thought there'd be more excitement about it from the last chapter. Or maybe you're still reeling from the shock of chapter 17.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 19: Prologue

Pink gave a quizzical look. "'Earth'?" she repeated aloud. She thought back, was that one of their colony worlds? No, it couldn't be, it must have been a prospective one. In any case, it didn't sound familiar. "Never heard of it." She replied.

"It was a prospective world on the boarders of our empire, initial scans suggested it could be quite successful as a colony." Yellow explained. "However, White banned its use due to the, ugh, abundance of organic life." She finished, giving a look of disgust.

"And you're just going to un-ban it?" asked Pink.

"The opportunities this planet presents are too valuable to let go to waste just because some inferior forms of life already exist there." Her sister replied snidely.

"I see…" Pink's long sojourn to the stars had been to visit all the colonies, many of whom, especially the oldest ones, had also been inhabited by organics. But as she knew all too well, these forms of life had been obliterated when her sisters had arrived and established said colonies. And her sisters hadn't really thought them worth the effort of remembering them in any way so information about them had been practically nonexistent. This would be an opportunity to observe organics, to see what they were really like.

She might even be able to find reasons enough about organics to convince her sisters they were worth preserving.

"So, when do I start?" The young Diamond asked.

"Immediately. You are to set out for Earth and land on its moon. A simple command structure has already been established there." replied Yellow, dryly.

"I just got back and you already want me to leave?" Pink asked. Her elder sister fixed her with a disapproving look and Pink held up her hands. "Hey, hey! Take it easy, I was only kidding… mostly." She quickly said, the last word coming out under her breath. "I'll head back to my ship.

"No." Yellow said, her voice flat but given with the strength of an order.

"Excuse me?" Pink asked. "Shouldn't I use my own ship to get where I'm going?"

"Your ship is an antiquated vessel Pink, a new one has been made for you." Yellow replied.

"Why?"

"Earth is near the edge of our boarders and I want you to be there as soon as possible. Therefore, you need a ship with faster-than-light capabilities." Yellow explained.

"We have that now?" Pink asked.

"One of many innovations we've made since your departure Pink." Blue said, contributing to the conversation. "Though it's still mostly in the experimental stages."

"Your ship has been readied and you are to leave within the hour." Yellow continued.

"And I shall be accompanying you." Blue added from her side.

Pink looked to her. "Really?"

"Well, it is your first, best to have someone around who cold at least show you how things are done." Blue said, a smile upon her features.

Yellow eyed her for a moment then returned her gaze to her youngest sister. "Just as well, the colony you're currently working on is in the same quadrant, no?" she asked.

"it is indeed." Blue confirmed.

Yellow waved a hand. "Very well, you should be able to lead her to her new ship anyways. But as soon as she's ready to start, please return to your own colony Blue."

"Of course, sister." She replied politely.

"I see. I suppose I'll go to my ship then." Said Pink.

"Do that, and know we're counting on you." Yellow said before she pressed a button on her throne and the interface shot up, signaling the end of the conversation. The two younger Diamonds got from their thrones and exited the room.

The four gems, the Diamonds and their respective pearls, all boarded the elevator and it began to descend. Blue let a smile creep out from under her hood and nudged Pink in the arm. "Your own colony, isn't it exciting?" She asked.

"Can't help but feel Yellow just wants me to be off Homeworld." Pink replied a bit too honestly. "I mean, I'm gone for nearly twenty thousand years, I'm here for under an hour and already being told to leave."

Blue shrugged. "Yellow's been busy since you've been gone, Pink. She's doing all she can to make sure everything's running smoothly, which includes the making of new colonies."

"I know it's just I haven't seen her in so long and she seemed so… cold." The young Diamond said sadly.

Blue put a single hand on her shoulder. "It's just her way, you know that."

Pink sighed, she _did_ know that. "I know it's just, I wish she'd show me, show us, how much we mean to her."

Blue patted her shoulder. "I know. But she cares, and you know that too. She just does it in her own way."

Pink smiled appreciatively to her sister. Ever since White's sacrifice for her, Blue had been quite the different gem. She was much less abrasive, at least towards her sisters. She spoke a little softer now and carried herself in a way that showed signs of kindness rather than strength, at least that's what Pink saw whenever she had been around her.

The elevator stopped and they exited the grand spire. Pink turned to her sister. "Oh, wait, hold on I have to make a call." She then walked a few feet away and took out her communicator. She looked over to Blue who was watching her patiently. She turned back to the communicator. "Peridot, it's me, are you there?"

"Pink!" came the voice of the green gem. "I heard you're back on Homeworld, that's great! You have to see what I-"

"No time for that. I need you to get everything together and meet with me." Pink said in a hushed tone.

There was a moment of silent before a deadpanned reply came across. "What."

"Yeah, we're already leaving again and I want you to come with me." Pink explained.

"I can't just drop everything I'm doing!" Peridot said. "There's so much to… and I thought… AUGH! How long do I have?"

"Under an hour." Pink answered.

"Wonderful. Fantastic." Came the irritated voice of green gem. "Fine, okay, okay. I'll, see what I can do."

"Thanks Peridot, I'll send you the coordinates in a few minutes." Pink replied before cutting the line.

She turned back to her sister. "Shall we?"

* * *

"Wow, that's pretty big." Pink said, somewhat at a loss for words.

"As always Pink, your powers of observation know no equal." Blue teased as they both looked up at the massive cruiser before them. "So, what do you think?"

The younger Diamond took note of the color scheme. "It's very… me, I guess."

Blue put a hand on her sister's shoulder reassuringly. "As it should be, it's yours. Pink Diamond's flagship."

"I didn't realize I need a cruiser three times the size of regular ships to be official."

Blue sighed. "Could you just pretend you're a little more…?"

"Like you?" Pink finished, then jabbing a thumb over her shoulder towards the Diamond tower. "Like them?"

"I know it's never been your… preference... to act like a superior Pink, but that has to change." Blue said, her tone serious. "Your days of wondering around the stars are over and you're going to have to take responsibility for _thousands_ of gems, not just a handful. And if they don't respect you, they won't follow you."

"There's more than one way to earn respect, Blue." Pink countered.

Blue's face spoke of exasperation, but she said nothing to that. Instead, she changed the subject. "Come, we still have a long trip ahead of us." With that the two entered the cruiser, its engines warming up.

Two thrones sat in the middle of the bridge taking up nearly a third of the available space. Pink looked to her sister who sat regal and quiet, she was about to say something to her when her communicator sounded. Pink picked it up but leaned a bit to the side, away from her sister who eyed her curiously. "Peridot is that you?"

"Yes." It replied. "I've managed to bring aboard everything I could, come meet me in your private chambers when you have the chance."

"Will do." She said before ending the call with a click. Her sister raised an eyebrow at her and Pink smiled sheepishly. "I'm all ready to go now."

Her sister nodded before turning to the front. "Make course for Earth!" she ordered.

The ship began to rise then through the atmosphere and in a blink of an eye it blasted into the stars.

"Approaching near-light speeds." Spouted off one of the many gems controlling the consoles.

"Prepare the protective shields." Blue ordered.

Pink looked at her curiously before watching as a ray of yellow engulfed them, forming a cylinder of light around their seats. "What is-"

"Gravity engines ready on your mark, my Diamonds." A different gem sounded off.

"Mark!" Blue barked and suddenly the ship felt like it was being stretched forward, the stars on the window seeming to stretch into thin lines before it became a swirling mass of whites black and blues.

"What was that? And what is this 'Gravity engine'?" The young Diamond asked, she looked beyond the cone of energy still surrounding them and saw the gems outside unharmed.

"The innovation I mentioned." Blue clarified. "Something Yellow had made to shorten our travel time around the Empire. It puts all our previous engines to shame but…"

"But what?"

"The energy generator it needs is massive, we haven't been able to use them in anything smaller than a cruiser, it'll be centuries at least before we're able to use them in smaller craft." She went on.

"I see and this shield?" Pink asked, reaching out for it.

"Wait Pink-" but the warning came too late. The young Diamond touched it and her hand went through, suddenly becoming a much smaller version of itself. Blue quickly reached over and pulled Pink back by the shoulder, returning the limb to its original size.

Pink turned over her hand, surprised at the limb. "What… what _did_ that?' she asked.

"We're traveling at beyond light speeds, Pink. And since our bodies are _made_ of light there has to be a way of stabilizing our forms at this speed." Blue explained, indicating to the light barrier around them.

A thought crossed Pink's mind, a small smile appearing on her face. "Wait, so you mean if I step outside this field, I'll be reduced to their size?" Pink said pointing to the gems outside of the shield, Olivine-types.

"Yes." Blue said before her eyes shot open as she caught the mischievous inflection in her sister's voice. "No, wait Pink-!"

But again, too late, this time Pink practically jumped from her seat and through the field. She landed on the other side, reduced to less than a fifth of her size. Unfortunately, her gem had remained exactly it had been, now more than ninety percent of her torso. "Ha! Look at me!"

She ran over to one of the gems who was looking at her with a mixture of horror and confusion. Pink grabbed her by the hands and looked her in the eyes. "I'm the same as you!"

The confused gem looked from Pink's excited face over her should to Blue's look of horror and anger.

"Pink! Get back here this instant!" She called out.

The young Diamond turned to her sister, letting go of the gem's hands. "And who's gonna make me?"

Blue began to reach out but stopped just short of the barrier and then retracted her hand. Instead, she tried a different tactic and motioned to Pink's empty seat. "Please sister… for me."

Pink's mischievous smile fell, she then walked back and stepped through the barrier. After regaining her true form she sat down, Blue giving her an admonishing look. "As always you're far too impetuous."

"And as always you're far too uptight." Her younger sister countered, looking away and off to the side.

"Pink, look at me." She said with the force of an order. Her sister was slow to turn but did so enough to give her a single eye. "We're their leaders, they expect us to lead."

Pink thought for a moment, looking out and away. "Blue let me ask you something. How long has it been since you've been to the colonies?"

"What do you mean?" her elder sister asked. "I was there less than three months ago, before you sent word of your return."

"No, that's not what I mean." Pink turned around some more, held her face now visible to her sister. "When were you last at our old colonies, Blue? The ones we've had for countless years now?"

Blue remained silent and Pink went on.

"I've been to them all, Blue. Each and every one we've ever made." The young Diamond broke the gaze with her sister, looking out towards the bridge window, watching the colors stream by. "Do you know what I saw? I saw buildings in decay, obsolete technology that had been as such for _centuries_ , a handful of gems who have been doing nothing but watching over dead and forgotten outposts. The colonies, even our biggest ones… they're just so _lifeless_. But then they saw my ship coming down from the sky, and to them it was as if a star had been cast down and presented itself before them. And then they saw me coming from the ship, and some averted their eyes and bowed but many were simply too awed by my presence to do anything. To them it was dreamlike, unreal, _I_ was dreamlike and unreal. But then I met them, I got to know them, not just what they were but _who_ , and planet after planet I did this." She turned her head fully to her sister. "These gems are loyal Blue, but they scarcely know who or what they're loyal to. We're practically myths to them, little more than legends and rumors from Homeworld."

"I assume you're about to make a point?" Her sister asked.

"Our people have spread far among the stars Blue, but instead of us being a strong united society, we are a scattered, disconnected people." Pink said finally arriving at her point. "We need to stop taking other planets for colonies, that too, in time, will also be abandoned and forgotten just like all the others. We've lost touch with the gems of our Empire Blue, and we need to reach out again, and pull ourselves together. To come together as one."

The elder Diamond was silent for a few moments, taking in all Pink had said. But as she was about to speak one of the gems from the console spoke up first. "My Diamonds, we are approaching our final destination/"

"Slow our speeds, turn off the gravity engines." Blue ordered. The gems did so and the planet was in view.

It was a deep blue, clouds blocking its surface view and streaks of green-brown adorning the sphere.

"It's… beautiful." Pink commented, momentarily distracted.

"The base is there." Her sister said, pointing a single blue finger to the grey moon, which was steadily and exponentially getting larger. Blue turned to the pilot. "Take us in and send word to my personal craft, they are to make their way here with all due haste."

"Yes, my Diamond." She replied.

The ship landed just outside the spire, being too big for any conventional landing inside. The doors whooshed open as the company, the Diamonds, their pearls and a dozen or so other gems all entered. Pink took a look around, it was shades of white and grey and silver. The young Diamond saw her likeness and the likeness of her sisters upon the walls.

"Is that me grasping at this planet?" she asked.

"The first of many that will one day be yours." Blue said to her.

A set of stairs glowed and encircled the walls and the party made their way. They reached the very top of the tower and it opened up into a large domed room. Gems lined the walls, waiting expectantly. A set of nearby steps lead to a crystal-clear chair with matching console. Pink looked to Blue and her sister motioned her towards it.

The young Diamond took the steps with care, as if testing each one as she went, her steps were the only things that sounded as they echoed in the silence. She pulled out the chair and sat down, and it pushed in for her. Blue stood by her side and Pink looked to her. "Wow, this feels…"

"Exhilarating?" The elder Diamond offered.

"Yeah…" Pink finished, allowing the feeling to set in.

Her sister leaned over and accessed the console, she flipped through to the first file and a hologram displayed itself before them, one of Earth. "This is the Earth." She pressed another button and glowing dots appeared all over it. "These are the areas we have planned for construction so far and in time it'll looks like this." She pressed another sequence of buttons and the hologram transformed, showing a completed colony of Earth.

Pink frowned looking from the hologram of the planet to the real thing just outside the window. "It looks… great."

Blue smiled warmly. "I'm glad. If you need instruction there's step by step plans in the database or you just need to call." She then stepped away and Pink got from her seat. Blue turned to the rest of the gems present. "Gems! I now leave you in the capable hands of my sister! Serve her well!"

"Yes, my Diamond!" replied the simultaneous voices.

Blue looked to her young sister with a smile. "Take care of them Pink, we're all counting on you." Her sister then turned to leave and descended the stairs.

The younger Diamond hesitated but then started to run after her sister, there was one more thing she needed to know. Blue was at the entrance to the base when Pink caught up with her, the airlock was disengaged and Blue's flagship hovered just outside, her palanquin ready to transport her away. "Blue!" Pink called out.

Her sister turned to see her. "What is it?"

"About what I said before, what were you going to say?"

Blue was silent for a moment eyeing her sister then looking to her palanquin as she began to walk to it, Pink trailing just behind her. "Pink, for now, just focus on completing the colony." With the she began to walk away.

Pink reached out for her sister. "Blue, don't just brush me off."

Blue's hand was caught but she did not turn towards her sister. "There may be something to what you say Pink. I'm not saying you're wrong. But this is the way we've been doing things for tens of thousands of years. You shouldn't expect a change so suddenly."

"I'd be happy with any change _at all_." Pink countered, "But I'm starting to wonder if that's even possible." With that Pink let go of her sister's hand and turned back to the base.

The elder Diamond sighed, turning to her sister. "Pink!" her sister stopped looking at Blue over her shoulder. "I'll… I'll talk to Yellow, about what you've told me. Just, don't get your hopes up." With that her sister waved before stepping inside her palanquin with her pearl and being taken into her ship before it turned around and blasted off into the stars.

Pink watched her sister leave and looked back to the base before heading back to her own ship.

* * *

Inside her room, aboard her flagship, her closet friends waited, having gathered there before the ship had taken off. Pearl and Peridot practically jumped from their seats but both Onyx and Flint gave respectful nods from opposite sides of the room.

Peridot was the first to address her. "Pink! Thank the stars you're here. Our bodies they started shifting and-"

"Whoa, whoa, Peridot, slow down. "Pink said putting her hands up, then the word she'd just spoken registered in her mind. "Wait, really? You guys grew in here?"

"We became about as big as you, boss." Flint said from her side.

"Huh, that must have been-" Pink shook her head, she was getting sidetracked. "Ach, never mind that. I'll tell you about that later." She turned her attention to the green gem specifically. "Peridot did you bring me what I asked for?"

"And…?"

Peridot shook her head sadly, holding up Spinel's memory bank. "I'm sorry, my Diamond. I've looked over this thing thousands of times and analyzed everything I could. But, my report now is the same as it was after I'd looked it over the first time. There's no cure for corruption."

Pink slowly closed her eyes and opened them again, taking a deep breath. "Nothing at all?"

"It was like what I said the first time, Pink. There's designs and hypotheses for what _could_ work concerning a cure for corruption, but nothing substantial. Just theories and prototype designs, all of which I've had ample time to explore but…" she trailed off.

"I see." Pink said, clearly disappointed. "Was there anything else?"

"A few other designs concerning…" she gave a quick glance over to Onyx. "…prototype gems. A few weapon designs, base designs, containment designs… that's about it."

"Anything worth investigation?"

"Maybe? I mean it depends what you're looking for, I guess. Though, some of these… it would take years just to find the materials to make them. Let alone the synthesis and gestation of certain substances." The green gem finished.

"We'll have to revisit these cure theories later, see if there's anything to work with." Pink then turned to the other three. "And you three? How've you been holding up?"

"I've gotten used to blending in. I doubt anyone suspects anything from me." Onyx spoke up.

"I've been… fine, boss. Thanks." Flint said, practically in a sigh.

Pearl spoke up. "I'm always ready to serve, my Diamond."

Pink sat down in a chair, folding one leg over the other. "So, I've been given a planet to turn into a colony, thoughts?"

"That depends, Pink. Are you still planning on opposing Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond?" Onyx asked.

The three looked to her curiously. "I… don't want to fight them, they're my sisters. But, neither can I allow them to keep wiping out populated worlds one after another. I need to show them there's a better way." Pink said with a frown.

"Boss, I hate to say this, but there may be no 'better way'." The quartz said solemnly. "Your sisters have entrusted you with a planet to turn into another one of our colonies, and if you refuse then the best-case scenario is that they'll simply replace you and do it themselves. And the worst-case…" Flint cast her eyes to the floor.

"…They may move against you… violently. Punish you. Fight you… Destroy you." Onyx finished.

A silence fell over the room, all gems in the room averting their eyes from one another.

"You really think they'd do that to her?" Pearl asked, the first to speak up after a few moments.

"It's hard to say. When White was in charge it was a different story, she kept them in line for the most part, but these last twenty thousand years? Miserable, just miserable." Flint said shaking her head.

"But, it may not be impossible to sway them. Blue Diamond has become noticeably softer around Pink since White was rendered… indisposed. She may perhaps be open to alternatives, especially if you're the one to suggest them." The former rogue gem said, looking to Pink.

"Yellow's a different story though." Flint said. "She was the Diamond I was originally created for, and I know her well. She's rigid, unchanging, and pragmatic to a fault. You'd have to give some pretty through evidence of whatever you're trying to prove if you want her to change her mind. And even then, it may not be enough."

"So, in short, we're facing long odds then." Pink summed up.

"Putting it mildly." Peridot said. "I could come out with an approximation of those odds, would you like to know them? Because the chances of us succeeding right now are low, _very_ low."

"The more likely thing is that if we try and go through with this, we'll _all_ be shattered." Onyx stated.

Another silence hung in the air.

Pink was the one to break it this time. "I won't blame any of you if you wish no part in this plan. I can make arrangements to make sure you're far from harm and free of blame. You need only speak up, if that is what you want."

A third silence.

"After all we've been through, you ask us that?!" Peridot asked. Pink gave a look of surprise, never expecting to hear that tone from her of all gems. "We've been together since the beginning Pink Diamond, and we'll all be sure to be with you till the end! You can count on that!"

Flint gave a large grin, walking over to Peridot and slapping her on the back. "Ha! Never expected the squirt to be talking so big!" She then looked to Pink. "Still though, she's right, Boss. We're with you all the way, no matter the odds."

Onyx simply shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I'm already a criminal. Not like I got much place to go if you lose, so I guess I better stick around to make sure that doesn't happen."

Pearl smiled. "I was made for you my Diamond, I will follow you in all things. If you say this is the way, then I will trust you."

Pink looked to each gem in turn, giving a smile while her eyes welled up with joy. "What did I ever do to deserve friends like you?" She asked, earning big, heartfelt, smiles from them all in turn. "All right then. Let's begin."

* * *

 **Boom. Done, got it. Getting a little faster at these, I think. Please review.**


	20. Ch 20: Impressions

**Chapter 20, alright, woo.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 20: Impressions

"So, you think this is a good spot?" Pearl asked.

"No, not here." Peridot replied.

A few moments passed.

"How about here?" Pearl asked.

"No, not here either." replied Peridot.

A few more moments passed.

"Here?"

"Pearl, just let me tell you when we've found it, alright?"

"Alright."

Silence.

"How about-"

"AUGH!" Peridot said, slamming her forehead against the yoke of the hovercraft. She and Pearl were currently exploring a vast grassland on Earth. One of the first things to do was to plot out a place for the first kindergarten, allowing extra forces to do whatever was needed. As it was, construction would be minimal without more gems.

Peridot sighed, looking to her. "Why did Pink have you come along with me anyways?"

"She didn't. I just thought you might like some extra company." Pearl said with a smile.

The green gem didn't respond to that, instead setting down the hovercraft on a hill. "Why are we stopping?"

"I want to take some soil samples. Initial scans suggest this area is highly rich in minerals but I want to make sure." Peridot responded as she put the loading ramp down and got from her seat.

She and Pearl looked out on the plains, it was mid-day and the grass shimmered as it waved with the wind. The green gem took out a small device and scoped up a little dirt with her fingers. She placed the clump inside the device and waited for a readout, squinting her eyes. "Hmm… it looks like this would be a good place for quartz soldiers, that's good, very good." She then looked all around her. "But we'll need to find someplace proper to put the injector pods, otherwise we'll need to dig to form a crevice somewhere. What do you think Pearl?"

No reply.

Peridot turned around, having been so engrossed the light-pink gem had now disappeared. "Pearl!" she called out.

"Over here!" came a distant voice.

Peridot turned to the source of the voice and jogged over until Pearl was within her view, but she wasn't alone. Standing right next to her was some sort of medium-large, organic quadruped with curved horns and a golden-brown pelt with white legs and a single blotch of black separating the two. Pearl was petting it and letting it… what was the word Onyx had once used… 'eat'? Yes, 'eat' organic matter out of her hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Pearl was practically laughing, looking to her. "Look Peridot! I made a new friend."

The green gem gave a quizzical look to the organic. It didn't _seem_ very dangerous. She took a step closer and the beast eyed her, but continued to chew, albeit slower as Peridot neared.

"Why are you letting it 'eat' out of your hand?"

Pearl shrugged. "Dunno, just feels right." It finished with eating and Pearl bent down and plucked some more grass out of the ground. But then instead of letting it resume eating she instead held it out for Peridot to take.

Peridot raised an eyebrow. "What do you want me to do with that?"

"Feed it." Pearl said motioning to the beast with her head.

"'Feed it'?" she asked. "What do you-"

Pearl rolled her eyes and grabbed Peridot's wrist pulling it closer. The light-pink turned her wrist over and placed the grass in Peridot's palm. "Look, it's easy. Just place you hand close to its mouth."

The green gem was hesitant but did as she was told. The beast eyed her for a moment before also eating out of Peridot's hand while Pearl slowly petted it. "Wow this feels… nice." Peridot said slowly.

"I know, right?" The beast finished the meal and slowly trotted away and out opf sight. "Anyways, how's the soil."

The green gem slipped back into analysis mode. "The soil here is excellent, I suspect we'll be able to get many quartzes from the ground. But we may need to split the ground, create a crevice for optimal gem creation."

"Like the one over there?" Pearl said pointing across the field to a drop-off point.

Peridot looked over to it, her eyes widening a bit. "Uh… yeah. How did I miss that from the air?" she wondered aloud.

The pair walked closer, nearing the edge and looking down. It was surpassingly full of life, moss clung to the walls, birds made nests all up and down the walls and far, far, below running water could be seen. "Yeah, this looks good." She looked around. "But before we use the injectors we need to set up a command center and a warp pad for easy access." She took out a rod and placed it in the ground, clicking the top of it. The rod extended and began to light up and blink, making a beeping noise as it did so.

"There, let's get back to base. I got just the tools in mind to start setting up here." Peridot stated confidently.

* * *

 _Meanwhile… far away…_

* * *

Flint was not happy about this.

Solid land, she could handle. Pure liquid water, she could swim in. But this? Mud? She kept sinking partway into it before pulling out her leg only to land in another patch which wallowed it again.

"Having trouble?" Came the voice of Onyx who was watching Flint struggle with some amusement.

"Shut it." Flint snapped back as she continued to make her way through. "Ugh! Boss! Why are we even out here?"

Pink was standing beside Onyx, she bent down below the canopy. "Colony procedure says at least a single starting structure must be built in each facet, Flint. That's why we're scouting out here, we're seeing what the environment's like." She then stood up straight her face out of sight once again. "I'm going to look over this way, I'll call if I find anywhere suitable to place a structure, you guys do the same." With that she walked off, branches snapping as she passed.

The former rogue gem looked to the quartz a smirk on her face. "Maybe if instead of just trudging through straight ahead you tried to look for the more solid path you wouldn't be having so much trouble."

"I already said shut it!" she called back, but this time she'd really gotten stuck. Flint bent down and grabbed hold of her foot, pulling and pulling until she pulled so hard her leg came flying out, throwing the quartz off balance and sending her flat on her back.

"HAHAHAHAHAA!" Onyx pointed at the quartz watching the whole thing unfold.

Flint snarled. "Shut up and help me out!" she demanded.

The smaller grey gem wiped a tear form her eye calming down and sending out a whip, grabbing Flint's leg and yanking her to solid ground.

Flint quickly got to her feet, brushing off the dirt and mud that still stuck to her. "I suppose I should thank you."

"You're welcome." Onyx replied, still chuckling a bit from earlier.

Flint then got a mischievous smirk, eyeing the smaller gem.

Onyx suddenly got a worried look. "Why are you- Hey! Put me down!"

The grey quartz lifted her above her head and tossed Onyx spinning through the air into the mud pit. "HA! You're right, that's hilarious! HAHAHA!"

Onyx got from the mud, summoning the whip again and lassoing Flint around her arm, yanking her back into the mud. Flint quickly pulled her down and stuffed Onyx's face into the mud, holding it down while she struggled to free herself. "HA! How do you like that?"

Soddenly Onyx's body was engulfed in light and she transformed, taking Pink Diamond's form. She got to her feet and picked up Flint with a single hand and slammed her into the mud, head first. Onyx then stepped back onto solid land and transformed back.

"HA! I like it just fine!" Onyx called over. Her grin fell as Onyx heard something in the distance. She put a hand up to her ear as Flint attempted to remove her head from the ground. The sound was hollow and repetitive, but it had a pattern to it.

It was also coming from the direction Pink Diamond had just gone in.

"Flint! Stop messing around! I think something's happening over with Pink." The former rogue gem called out.

Flint was still trying to get out of the ground. Onyx rolled her eyes, lassoing Flint's leg and yanking her out again. The grey quartz stood up and brushed herself off, spitting out a giant clump of mud. She then put a hand to her head and listened, then she looked down to Onyx. "I hear it too. Let's go."

The followed the ruined canopy several miles. Pink Diamond could really make good time with those long legs of hers.

The drumming got louder. "It's coming from over there." Flint said pointing to a couple of bushes.

"Yeah, it's weird how far the sound carried, the acoustics in this place must be amazing." Onyx added.

The two gems knelt down and hid in the bushes They looked beyond and saw… something _very_ strange.

The sound in question was coming from some sort of round cylinder object which was getting beat by… well… Onyx wasn't quite sure what it was. She had seen something similar, but they usually had a lot more hair. Still this simian-like creature had dark copper-like skin and jet black hair. It was also wearing clothes of some sort, which was the really odd thing. She'd never seen organic dress themselves in anything before and if she wasn't mistaken it was in the bodies of other organics, flapping in the breeze and barely covering their torsos and lower bodies.

How strange.

Several of these creatures were sitting around in a circle, some beating on similar objects and making the sound. Others were shaking their bodies oddly, but not in pain, it was more like… fighting… but the stances were not good for battle, it was strange, all strange.

Strangest of all though was what was in the center of this strange circle, Pink Diamond, sitting cross-legged, her back towards them. There was some sort of wreath of organic matter around her head.

"Did she get captured?" Flint whispered to her.

"I… don't know…" she looked to the wreath. "Maybe they used some sort of organic technology on her? That thing around her head doesn't look normal."

Flint summoned her sword. "That's it, I'm putting a stop to this."

"Wait, maybe we should-"

Too late.

Flint charged in yelling like a maniac. The organics immediately stop playing and panicked at the sight of her, fleeing into the underbrush. Pink turned around, surprised to see Flint's charging form, but did not get up.

As the grey quartz neared her yelling steadily got quieter and she slowed as she saw Pink narrowing her eyes at her. She stopped completely as the young Diamond crossed her arms, giving her an admonishing look. Flint lowered her sword and Onyx quickly came up behind her. "Uh…. We're here to save you?"

Pink closed her eyes and sighed. "So, how did you guys find me."

"Well there was that sound and… well…" Onyx pointed up to a still ruined canopy where Pink had walked through.

"Ah, right." Pink then turned around on her butt, facing them but still sitting down. "Well, as you two can see, I'm fine."

"What were those organics and… what are you wearing?" Flint asked.

Pink looked down at herself. Her normal bodysuit had been replaced by a two-piece set. Her top half was a large, decorated vest that covered her chest. Her bottom half resembled a single, long, ornately decorated cloth, allowing both her legs to be bare and clearly seen. Her gem remained where it had always been, connecting the top half of the outfit with the bottom and pulling it all together. "Oh this? I dunno, I saw them wearing it and I thought, 'Hey, why not?'."

"It's nice, I guess." Flint said, rubbing the back of her head.

"And that stuff around your head?" The smaller gem asked.

Pink looked up towards the wreath and took it off carefully. "They made it for me." She held it out for them to look closely, it appeared just to be made of the flowers and grass and sticks all intertwined with each other in such a way that the shape retained its form.

"What were those… _creatures_?" Onyx asked.

"I don't know. I was walking along and I saw one of them being attacked by another, bigger, organic and I scared it off. It was scared at first, but then when I tried to show I meant no harm, it ran off. I thought it had gone but it brought back almost a dozen more of its friends. I think we were celebrating something, until you two came along." Pink said recounting her tale and replacing the wreath before giving a disapproving look to them both.

Flint looked sheepish, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh, heh heh, sorry."

Onyx looked off into the bush. "I wonder where they ran off to."

Flint knelt down examining the ground closely. "Hmm… I could probably track them down."

"You know how to track organics?" Pink asked.

"Sure, there's nothing to it." Flint replied, looking to her.

"Well then, lead the way. These creatures seem interesting." Said the young Diamond.

"Uh, before that Pink, maybe you should crouch down. Unless you wish to continue to create a clear cut line through the canopy." Onyx advised, pointing upward.

Pink nodded. "Yes, perhaps that'd be best."

 _A few hours later…_

"I thought you said you knew the way." Onyx said.

Flint scowled at her. "Hey! This is harder than it looks."

"Flint, seriously, are we close?" Pink asked, nearly crawling on all fours. "Having to move around like this for the last few miles has become _really_ irritating."

"Well the trail seems pretty fresh so they're pretty close. In fact, I'd say they're just over that hill." Flint said pointing to a clearing in the trees where said hill was located. The three climbed atop it but laid down as they beheld their quarry.

The creatures from before were all going about their different tasks. Some were carrying around tools, other had organic matter of some kind. Some of the bigger looking ones stood on the outside wielding sticks resembling spears. Little structures made of organic material of some sort were dotted al throughout the make-shift settlement.

"It's like they got their own little colony. Fascinating." Pink said, her eyes wide with wonder.

"They do seem at least somewhat intelligent for organics." Onyx admitted. "Well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later."

"So… are we just going to sit and watch or what?" The quartz asked, somewhat bored.

"We've wondered pretty far from the hovercraft, perhaps we should head back to retrieve it before something comes across it." Onyx suggested.

Without breaking her gaze from the settlement below, Pink pulled out a small metal device and pressed a button on it, it beeped once in response. The sound of crashing in the distance was then heard and the two smaller gems turned to see the hovercraft soaring above the canopy and heading towards them. It stopped just at the foot of the hill and opened its boarding hatch.

"Oh, never mind then."

"Shh!" Pink said. "I think something's happening."

Some was indeed happening.

Another one of the creatures had just run into the settlement. It was pointing behind itself and communicating with the other creatures with a panicked look on its face. The others began to scatter now, some dropping whatever they had in their hands and running off, others running into their huts and closing the doors behind them. Soon no one was left in the settlement outside a hut.

"What was that about?" Flint asked.

Her question was soon answered as more organics quickly came, but these were much different than the others. They walked on two legs but they were at least a foot taller and had no hair to speak of. Instead of a shade of tan like the others had been they were green and white leathery skin. They didn't have round heads like the organics from before either but flat, reptilian snouts. They didn't wear organic pelts, but they did wear silver and gold bands on their arms and around their necks.

The new organics seemed to be searching around the settlement and they began to bust down the doors to the huts. Within seconds, screams sounded off as the scaly organics dragged the organics from their homes. Some of the bigger looking tan organics seemed to be trying to fight back with their primitive spears.

But to little avail.

The scaly organics knocked the spears aside with a significantly better crafted sword. It swung the sword and the spear was easily slashed in two. The tan organics were then hulled off by the leathery organics and the settlement was quiet once more.

Pink stood to full height. "Come on."

The three gems entered the settlement, everything was either overturned or cut to pieces. "Now I wonder what _those_ creatures were." Said the former rogue gem voicing the curiosity of all three of them.

The young Diamond looked around her frown deepening as she did.

"Something wrong, Boss?" Flint asked.

"It's just… I feel like we could have helped them."

Flint shrugged. "Organics got to eat, hunt or be hunted or something like that right?" she asked turning to Onyx who had been busy examining some of the pottery that had been smashed.

"It's a little more complicated than that." Onyx replied, picking up a piece and examining it more closely. "But she does have a point, Pink. It's not really our place to interfere with the natural order of things." Pink's frowned deeper at that and Onyx sighed. "At least, not until we _know_ more about the situation first."

Pink put a hand to her chin then looked over to where the leathery organics had dragged off the tan, soft-skinned ones. Part of her wanted to try and save them, but Onyx was right, she needed to know more first. "All right, let's go see what we have on these organics."

* * *

Peridot was typing away commands, Pearl at her side, when she heard footsteps coming from behind her. They turned to see Onyx, as Amethyst, Flint and her Diamond approaching her. "Hey guys, Pearl and I just got back from picking out destination for our first kindergarten, isn't it great?"

"Yeah Peri, it's amazing." Flint said, boredly. "Anyways, Pink has something she wants to ask you."

"Peridot I need you to look up an organic species for me." Pink said.

"Alright, which one? Can you describe it?"

"it stands on two legs." Onyx started.

"Alright, that cuts it down significantly." The green gem quickly typed and the holographic images of several dozen species were pictured side by side on screen.

The young Diamond looked from one picture to the next then pointed to one of them. "There." She said pointing t one of them.

Peridot accessed the file and the screen blinked once before showing a detailed file of the creature at the top the designation name was given.

"'Humans' huh?" Flint said, reading it off.

"Looks like they're pretty smart for organics. They can build simple structures and use tools." Pink said as she read aloud from the file.

Peridot nodded. "Indeed. I'd say that these creatures have great potential. Along with these." With that she typed a few more commands and suddenly the other organics were on screen, the human file now sharing space with the other ones they had seen.

"'Sah-ru-kah'" Flint said sounding out the name.

"That's 'Sarrukh'." Pearl corrected.

"Isn't that what I said?" Flint asked.

" _Anyways…_ " Peridot began, getting them back on topic. "These creatures are mostly found in the warmer climates due to their cold-blooded biology but are surprisingly versatile in colder climates as well, once adapted. Though their population growth is significantly smaller than the humans." She pressed another button and it showed a human in chains being whipped by a sarrukh. "However, they are much stronger than the humans and have managed to indenture many of them into their servitude for labor as well as a being kept around as a sustainable food source."

"They look like kinda like the humans but mixed with those snake organics you told me about. Snake… humans… Snumans." Flint said slowly.

"Psht, that's stupid. You can't just combine words and make a new thing." Onyx pointed out.

Flint shot her a look but then shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right, what kind of moron would do that?"

"I wonder if it's possible to get these two to get along?" Pink wonder aloud.

"Not with a taste for the humans." Flint said pointedly.

Pink looked from one picture to the other. The sarrukh had enslaved weaker but more numerous beings to do their bidding and could essentially destroy them at any time of their choosing. Her mind now drifted and stared noticing the parallels between them and her sister with the rest of the gems. "We should free the humans from their grasp, perhaps section off these sarrukh until we can make them less… enslaving."

Onyx gave raised a brow at that. "I assume the irony is not lost on you there."

"No, and I doubt it'll be the last before we're done with this world." Pink admitted.

"These humans might be our best bet at convincing the other Diamonds of the value in organic life." Pearl noted.

Peridot nodded. "They are, though even then those are still pretty long odds."

"We'll have to revisit this soon. Anyways you were saying about the first kindergarten?" Pink asked.

"We've come up with a good insertion point to start." Peridot said, pulling up the world map and a single red dot. "All we need to do is set up the control room and we'll be able to start using the injector pods.

"I see, well Peridot your job is to being setting up for the kindergarten. Onyx I want you to get close and observe the humans and the sarrukh. I want to know everything about them as individuals and interactions with each other. Pearl, Flint, you help them with their respective tasks and give me updates while they focus their full attention to their tasks." The four nodded. "We're going to be very busy the next few months."

* * *

 _A few months later…_

* * *

Pink sat at the console, her hands on across her stomach as she slouched. She was gazing at Earth again when she heard a beeping from the console. She straightened up and pressed a single button, the serious face of Yellow Diamond appearing before her. "Yellow, always nice to hear from you." She said evenly.

"How goes the colonization Pink?" she asked getting straight to the point.

"Our first kindergarten is nearly ready and the injector pods are ready to be deployed." Pink responded automatically. She'd anticipated the call and had several answers already lined up for her sister's questions.

"I see, and the other facets?"

"We've scouted out sights for the first structures in each and will begin construction as soon as we have our new workers from-"

"No."

Pink stopped, she'd been looking off and to the side but now her attention was suddenly drawn to the screen. "Excuse me?"

"I said 'No.'." She repeated, then she looked off to the side, accessing another console. "I want construction to begin immediately, not sometime in the next decade when the gems you plant will emerge. I shall contact Blue and have her send over some of her construction gems so you may begin. Understood?"

"Yes." Pink replied.

"Good, she should be there within the week. Yellow out." With that the screen collapsed and Pink slouched once more. She put a hand to her chin, tapping it with a single finger. She had hoped that waiting on the kindergarten gems would buy her enough time to properly study the humans and sarrukh. Now things were moving faster than she thought. Still, the structures themselves would also take years to build… "What to do..." she wondered still tapping her chin.

The console beeped again and Pink sat up, this time Peridot appeared. "My Diamond, I thought you should know that the control base here has been successfully set up, we're ready to fire the injector pods." She pressed a few buttons on her own console off screen. "I have the insertion points all set up, just say the word and we'll begin."

The young Diamond thought for a moment, tapping her chin. "Peridot, I'm coming down, I want to see it for myself."

The green gem was caught off guard by this but nodded. "Uh, alright. I'll see you in a little bit I guess."

* * *

Pink set down her small ship in at the bottom of the gorge, accessing the elevator and making her way down. Quartz soldiers saluted her as she reached the bottom and Peridot turned around and did the same. "My Diamond, what can I do for you?" she asked.

Pink gave a dismissive wave. "Not here, show me the injector pods."

"Of course, right this way." Peridot opened a door to a second, adjacent room.

"Why all the secrecy?" The green gem asked, once they were alone, injector pods positioned just below tubes to be shot out from like artillery shells.

"There's something I need you to do for me."

* * *

 _One week later…_

* * *

Blue arrived on the lunar base and entered, being greeted by gems as she passed. She made her way to the control room and saw her sister, the chair turned around from the console and looking to her, Pink's pearl by her side. "Well it's nice to see you taking your job so seriously, I almost thought you didn't have it in you." She teased.

Pink gave a pained smile. "Of course, I am a Diamond after all."

Blue drew closer taking her sister's hand and squeezing in a reassuring manner. "Yes, you are."

Pink then looked down, noticing something amiss. "If I'm not mistaken, do you have _two_ pearls now?"

Blue looked down, her usual pearl was by her side, but almost hiding behind her was another. She looked about the same as any other pearl but she was a white-grey with sky-blue eyes. Her hair had a peach-pink color and resembled a pixie-cut in the front, while in the back, her hair lead to two curled points like the top of an onion. She wore a sleeveless, very light sky-blue jumpsuit with transparent silk ballet skirt around her waist. She also wore long white leggings, and slip-on ballet flats to match. Her gem sat in the center of her forehead, right above her eyes.

"Ah, her." She said. "Come on out." Blue ordered. The timid little gem did so, albeit very slowly, looking quite unsure. "Present yourself to a Diamond properly."

"My name is Pearl." She said a bit too quickly, nearly coming out in a jumbled mess as she bowed deeply. "I am at you command, my Diamond. It is an honor to bask in your radiance."

Pink raised a brow at this then looked to her sister. "So? Are you going to give me an explanation?"

"is it not obvious?" Blue asked. Her younger sister remained silent and Blue went on. "This is going to be White Diamond's new pearl."

Pink gave a look of mild surprise. "Really? What about White's current-"

Blue cut her off before Pink said too much. "That's why I'm having her follow me around for now, when White is… ready… this Pearl will be waiting for her."

"So, you're… training her." Pink concluded.

"In a manner of speaking, she must be ready to serve our sister to the upmost of her ability." Her sister continued.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'll be thrilled after what happened with her last one." Pink replied pointedly.

" _That_ will not happen again, I'm making sure of it." Blue said gravely, eyeing the pearl as she did so.

The young Diamond eyed her sister than the pearl and back again. She then turned to her own pearl. "Pearl, could you take these two over there for a moment, I wish to converse with my sister more privately."

"Yes, my Diamond." Pearl said nodding before motioning for the other two to follow her to the sides.

Once Pink saw they were out of hearing range she eyed her sister once more. "I don't think you're going about this the right way."

Blue raised a curious brow. "What do you mean?"

"Blue, that Pearl's afraid of her own shadow. How is she gonna be of any use to White when she revives if she's far too scared to do _anything_?"

"Fear keeps them in line." Blue retorted.

Pink sighed. This was Yellow's dogma again. "Look, I got an idea. Let me take her and train her."

"You? Why?"

"You're putting the finishing touches on the colony you're working on right now, right? Arguably the most important time in a colony's life because you have to make sure it's entirely autonomous?" Pink asked to which Blue gave an affirmative nod. "You're not going to have time to teach this Pearl how to be a proper servant of the Diamonds, but me? I just started and I can't really begin the big projects here until I got at least one kindergarten up and running, so I'll have plenty of time to make sure she's Diamond worthy."

Blue put a hand to her chin in thought. "Hmm…" she looked to Pink's pearl. From what she'd seen she _did_ seem loyal, well adjusted, respectful, a very good servant in most respects. "Alright then, fine. She's yours. Make sure she's up to par, I'll be checking up again very soon." She turned to leave before stopping and turning back. "Oh, and those construction gems I've brought are waiting on the ground floor, you should probably address them soon." She then turned to the pearls. "Pearl! Come! We are leaving."

The demure blue pearl nodded. "Yes, my Diamond."

The White Diamond bowed quickly. "Y-yes, my Diamond."

Blue shook her head. "No. You are to stay here, you are to answer to Pink Diamond henceforth."

The pearl looked confusedly between the two Diamonds. "But I-"

"IS that understood?" Blue asked, her gaze piercing into the little Pearl's core.

The pearl nodded quickly and bowed. "Y-y-yes, my Diamond it is as you command."

Blue nodded the looked to her sister. "Farewell, sister. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Blue." Pink said waving as she and her own pearl left.

Pink motioned for Pearl to bring the timid gem closer and she nodded, grabbing her by the hand and slowly leading her closer. Pink's pearl gave her a reassuring smile and a squeeze of the hand. "Hey, don't worry, she doesn't bite."

The white pearl looked to her pink counterpart confused at the expression but her frown lessened a bit as she approached Pink, who gave her a welcoming smile as she drew near.

"Hey hey, don't be scared. It's okay." Pink said leaning forward.

The ivory pearl was still and rigid as Pearl let go of her hand. She bowed again, once again quite quickly. "I am ready to fulfill whatever task you give me!" she stammered out.

"Whoa whoa! Easy there, take a breath." Pink replied.

"M-my Diamond?"

"Look, I really shouldn't tell you this..." She looked around quickly then leaned in close. "But you can just call me 'Pink'."

A blush spread across the pearl's cheeks like a wildfire as she took a few steps back. "M-m-my Diamond! I would never presume to be so overly familiar!"

The young Diamond sighed, this was going to take a while. "Pearl, would you mind watching her? I should go greet the new arrivals."

"As you say, Pink." Pearl replied, gaining a jaw drop from her white counterpart.

Pink walked down the steps to see a bunch of gems talking to one another, she spotted over a dozen bismuths among them, the top tier builders they weren't usually called in until real streamlined construction had begun. Yellow must have really wanted to kick her into high gear. "Gems!" she called out. "My name is Pink Diamond! You were called in to help colonize this world! Are you ready?!"

"For the glory of the Diamonds!" the shouted back in unison.

Pink gave a confident smile but inside she was still apprehensive. _"What will the future hold, I wonder?"_

* * *

 **Done. Please review.**


	21. Ch 21: Rose

**Chapter 21, my story is of legal age! Kinda! Not really!**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 21: Rose

 _Four years later…_

* * *

White Pearl slashed in quick succession but her target, Pink Pearl, weaved and dodged around each and every blow. Pink then thrust forward with her rapier and hocked the tip around the handle of White Pearl's sword and quickly fling it out of her hand. PP moved to thrust at her but WP dodged out of the way, diving for the sword and entering another battle stance.

PP motioned for her to come at her and WP obliged, slashing and swinging in proper form, still none of the blows landed on their mark.

White Pearl then jumped in the air, preparing for an overhead slash, but Pink Pearl sidestepped the blow and as WP's blade hit the ground her Pink counterpart held the tip of her sword to her chin. She then smirked before holding her rapier properly in front of her face and then dismissing it. "Alright, that's enough for today. You're still acting a bit too rashly in combat, you need to wait for openings and strike when the right opportunity arises. We're not strong like quartz soldiers so we need to be quick and precise."

White sighed before dismissing her own blade. "Stars, Pink. I don't know how you do it."

"You'd be surprised what you can accomplish with several millennia of practice." She replied, walking over to the edge of the arena and sitting down on one of the stone benches and patting the seat next to her.

WP smiled at her before sitting down next to Pink Pearl. "No, I mean, you're a pearl! A PEARL! Who'd have expected you to be such a great fighter."

"We pearls must serve our masters to the best of our abilities White, that includes combat. I mean what would happen if someone somehow got past all the lunkhead quartzes?"

"With some of the quartzes I've seen that might be quite the possibility." White whispered to her and the two of them giggled together.

"By the way, I've been meaning to say, are you sure you want to use a blade?" Pink asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you just don't seem comfortable using a true sword stance. You shift the blade between your hands quite often, perhaps you should try using two at a time? Or perhaps something that requires two hands like a trident or a spear?" Pink suggested.

White thought about it. "Maybe, but using a sword is how I learned to fight at all."

Pink sighed. "That was just for the basics, if you don't find a more comfortable fighting style than this, you might not improve at all."

"But what about you? You seem fine using a single sword technique."

"That's because it's what I'm most comfortable with, White. I use my offhand to maintain my balance, but you aren't comfortable leaving your hand to such a task, I can tell. It wants to join in on the action somehow and that it going to get it stabbed." Pink Pearl pointed out.

White looked to the ground and then her hands. "Maybe, you're right."

Pink slapped her on the back. "We'll see what we can do tomorrow, right now Pink Diamond's calling us." She said pointing to the communicator nearby which was beeping for them.

Pink Pearl walked over and answered it, her Diamond's holographic image appearing before them. "My Diamond, how might I be of service?"

"Is White Pearl with you?" Pink asked. Pearl nodded and a smile came across the Diamond's face. "Good, you two should meet me at the kindergarten. It's time."

PP's eyes shot open. "Really? Now?" The Diamond nodded. "We're on our way." With that the line was cut and Pearl turned to her white counterpart. "Come on! We got to go, now!"

"Now?" she asked. "What's the hurry?"

"It's time! The kindergarteners are due to emerge! Pink wants us to be there with her to watch." Peal replied.

White's face lit up. "Really? Oh wow! How exciting!"

"I know, let's hurry!" With that the two gems exited the half-built sky area and took off in a hovercraft, shooting off towards their destination.

* * *

They touched down inside the crevice and arrived to see Pink waiting, sitting in a grand and elaborate-looking throne, her closest gems by her side while several dozen others were also gathered. They had all been summoned in anticipation of the event. Pink Diamond made a motion with her hand and the crowd parted allowing the pair of pearls to approach.

Flint gave a smirk as they approached. "Pearl and Whitey! I almost thought you wouldn't make it."

White Pearl's eyebrow twitched a little at the name. "Whitey" had been the nickname this quartz had come up with her to distinguish her from her Pink counterpart. Well, it wasn't the worst thing she could have called her, and it did have _some_ kind of endearment to it.

"We wouldn't miss this." WP replied with a grin.

Pink smiled at the interaction. Over the past few years her Pearl had taken her white sister under her wing and the growth had been remarkable. She was no longer timid, at least not overly, more neurotic than anything else. She was a bit more outspoken now and seemed to have taken quite a shine to her older peer. If White ever did manage to recover, she would make an excellent companion for her.

Pink Diamond looked down to Peridot. "How long before they emerge?"

"Only a few minutes more." The green gem replied.

Pink nodded then stood to full height and addressed the gathered gems. "My fellow gems! Today is a momentous day! Today our sisters of the Earth will emerge and join our ranks! Now we take our first step towards the future of this planet! A planet for gems!"

The gems saluted and called out. "For the glory of the Diamonds!"

The young Diamond didn't like to admit it, but she had gotten quite used to the obedience of the gems who served her. It was the same part of her that wanted to dominate and conquer like her sisters. The same part who knew how to control the various gems around her as she so wished. The same part she was often most ashamed of and tried hardest to suppress.

Peridot looked down to a scanner she was holding. "And they should be emerging right about… now." She and all the rest looked to the walls, long empty injectors lining them, but nothing happened.

"Peridot?" Pink asked.

"Just give it a second."

One minute passed.

Then two.

Three.

Five.

Ten.

"Peridot?"

Peridot smacked the scanner's side. "I don't understand the deep surface scans said they should be-"

A rumbling began to be heard throughout the kindergarten, the walls trembled and bits of rock fell off the cliff faces.

 **CRACK-BAM**

A purple fist emerged from one of the walls, the was a foot from another. Bit by bit quartzes began to tear themselves out of the walls, mostly amethysts but many others kinds mixed in as well. Flint looked to the purple quartzes and frowned touching her pocket with a single hand, an action not unnoticed by Pink.

"What is that?" Peridot said pointing to Pink's palm which was now outstretched to her. Sitting on said palm were purple shards.

"You know who it is." Pink said gravely.

Peridot was silent for a moment before looking to Pink. "Does Flint know?" she asked.

"She's the one who gave them to me.

Peridot looked at the shards again then squinted her eyes. "This can't be all of it."

"No, I believe she kept the single largest shard for herself."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Take the shards and grind them to dust, then put them inside the injector pods."

Peridot looked to the shards then back to Pink. "This won't bring her back."

"I know." Pink replied. "But part of Amethyst will live on in those made with her gem."

Pink leaned down towards Flint. "Are you-"

"I'm fine. Thank you, my Diamond." Flint said without turning around or taking her eyes off the emerging gems.

Pink straightened up and clapped her hands twice. "Gems! You know your duties!" The gems gathered saluted before they ran off to meet their emerging kin. Pink looked down to Flint and they nodded to one another before Flint ran off as well.

Pink got from her seat and the four of them, the Diamond the two pearls and Peridot, began to walk along the kindergarten's ravine, watching as gems continued to pop out of the walls at least a half dozen at a time. "How are we Peridot?" Pink asked.

The green gem looked to her scanner. "We should be having quite the yield, my Diamond."

"Any stragglers?"

"Not that I… wait a minute." She inspected the scanner closely. "There's one around this bend that hasn't emerged."

"Late?"

"No, more like its… dormant." Peridot said, leading the group. When they arrived a group of amethysts were gathered together around a large section of the wall. They saw the Diamond approaching and immediately straightened up and saluted. "Out of the way." Peridot ordered and the quartzes complied, allowing her through.

The green gem stepped up to the section of the wall and looked around it. Holes from the other amethysts were all over in neat rows and columns, there was definitely supposed to have been one here too. Peridot closely inspected the wall's surface then looked to her scanner and back again.

"Well?" asked one of the amethysts standing around asked. "What does it say?"

Peridot eyed her for a moment before turning her gaze to her Diamond and addressing her. "The gem that's here, it's not going to emerge. Not now, perhaps not ever."

"What do you mean?" Pink asked.

"I'm not sure how to explain it, my Diamond." The green gem said honestly. "There's nothing wrong with the injector placement or the mineral content and as you can see…" she waved her arms in an arc referring to the other quartzes standing around her. "There's nothing wrong with any of her fellow quartzes, it's an anomaly I can't explain."

One of the amethysts stepped up to the wall, pulling back a fist. "Well then, let's just dig her out, help her get free."

Peridot quickly ran between the wall and the gem. "No! Stop! If you try and rip her gem out before she emerged on her own, you could seriously damage her!"

"Then what are we supposed to do?" asked another amethyst.

Peridot looked back to the wall, touching it. "There's nothing we can do, 8XM here needs to come out on her own."

"How long will that take?" asked another.

"A day? A year? A hundred years? Longer? I don't know. It's rare for a gem to have all the perfect conditions to be emerging from but still not do so." Peridot said. "At any rate, there's nothing more we can do here. You should all report to the gems that are waiting for you."

Pink clapped her hands twice. "You heard her, move out!"

The four were left alone for a moment, each taking a look with some degree of curiosity and concern to the wall before walking off.

Flint was busy organizing the gems into squads when the four came back to greet her. Pink stepped forward and addressed the quartz. "So, what do you think?"

"They're rough, but I'll get them into shape in no time." The grey quartz said looking over at the legions of gems behind her. Pink scanned the huge gathering, there were at least several thousand new gems here, but… She squinted her eyes. Where were they?

Pink bent down to Peridot. "I thought you said they would emerge with all the others?"

Peridot looked down to her device. "They should! I designed them to be a type of quartz so that they'd be best suited for this kindergarten, they should have emerged by now. Did I make a miscalculation?" she wondered aloud.

As if on cue a wave of white appeared over the horizon. Gems of virtually the same design and color approached the horde, several hundred at least, by the looks of it. The wore dresses of various size and shades of white with matching curled hair of dark pink, almost red to a very light shade, nearly white. They were all near the same height and body type with slight variations of each.

Flint took a step forward, her jaw open in awe. "What… are _those_?"

Peridot couldn't help but give a smug smile. "Like 'em? I call them 'Rose Quartz'."

Pink gave a wide smile. "You've outdone yourself Peridot."

Peridot's smug smile got even smugger, if such a thing were possible. "I live to serve. I aim to please."

Pink Diamond walked towards them as they approached and they stopped still some ways off. One of their number emerged from among them. She was a bit talker and thinner than her sisters, her hair on the lighter side of pink. She gently grasped the sides of her dressed and knelt, something Pink recalled that sapphire having done all those years ago, something she had since learned was called a "curtsy". "I must have the honor of addressing Pink Diamond." It sounded like a statement but came out almost like a question.

"You do."

The gem stopped her curtsy and stood to full height. "I am – that is to say – we are Rose Quartz, it is an honor to meet you my Diamond." With that she curtsied once more but so did the crowd behind her.

"It is an equal honor to make all your acquaintances."

"You are too kind, my Diamond." The rose quartz said, standing up, her peers doing the same.

* * *

"You want me to do what." Peridot asked almost a deadpan.

"I need you to design a gem that can mimic my powers." The Diamond repeated.

"My Diamond, do you know how hard it is to start the design of a new type of gem from scratch?"

"You don't have to use an entirely new base, just use a quartz base and add some of my features." Pink explain.

"You mean controlling stationary organics and that healing power you have?"

"That's right."

"What, like how the Lapis Lazulis have Blue Diamond's power to a much lesser degree?"

"Yep, so will you do it?"

The green gem pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, alright, fine. I'll do it. When do you need it?"

"Before the end of the week."

Peridot's jaw dropped. "With all due respect, my Diamond. That's _insane_."

"Look I want these new gems to be part of the initial batch in a few years, in order for that to happen I need this done before we start using the pods at the end of the week."

Peridot sighed. "Yeah, alright. I'll do I everything I can."

* * *

 _A few days later…_

* * *

Pink approached Peridot. "Is everything ready?"

The little green gem sighed. "Just barely. I had to work practically non-stop, but yes, I managed to do it."

"Good, then there's one last thing I need you to add to one of the injectors for the new gem types."

"Oh, just _one_ more thing?" Peridot asked sarcastically as Pink pulled out something that made her eyes go very wide.

"Is that…?"

"It is."

Peridot looked to her in confusion. "But why…?"

Pink looked down to her hand. "I'm entrusting something to the future. But you need to keep it a secret, no one can know about this. Not even our friends."

"I… I understand." The green gem said, attempting to steady herself. "Are you sure about this?"

"There's really no turning back Peridot, the wheels are in motion now."

* * *

"You will all be under my direct command. Split yourselves equally among the facets and await my orders once you've arrived at each." Pink ordered.

The first rose quartz turned around to her sisters. "You heard her, divide yourselves equally among the facets and then make your way to each."

Pink put a finger to her chin in thought. _"Which will be the one I wonder_ …"

* * *

 _One year later…_

* * *

Pink typed away at her console, surprisingly she was taking good care of the colony's growth, many of the initial structures she'd set up were going to be nearing their completion within only a few short years.

Unfortunately, all other avenues of possible progress seemed to have significant stumbling blocks.

The 'rose quartzes' were much less ideal than Pink had initially hoped they would be. Most of them lacked any significant power, lacking either her healing ability or organic communication power, a few lacked both, making them little more than a different shade from the rest of the quartz grunts. Even those with one ability or the other seemed to have either little control or little power with the ability. Those able to control the plants barely able to do more than make them wiggle and others with the healing ability not able to fix anything more serious than a light cut or bruise. There were maybe five individuals from the group of hundreds who had the potential she was looking for.

As for the human and sarrukh situation…

She heard steps coming from behind her and saw Pearl walking towards her. She made her way up the steps and bowed. "My Diamond, good to see you."

"Hello Onyx." Pink said with a smile.

Pearl frowned then made an irritated face. "Shoot. I thought I'd get you for sure that time." A bright light enveloped Pearl and changed to the form of Onyx.

"So, what's the news on the organic front?" she asked.

Onyx shrugged. "Not much more we can learn from just watching them from afar, Pink. We've managed to sneakily herd some of the humans away from the sarrukh, but the slaves they have still remain, and with their diet, may not remain for long."

"How many of these enslavement places are there?"

"I'd say there's three big ones, the rest are much smaller."

"Talk to Flint to organize a strike force and free them, would you? Make sure these sarrukh are subdued, but I don't want them harmed."

"I'll be sure to relay that." Onyx replied before a bright light surrounded her and she was Amethyst once again before turning and running off.

Pink watched her leaven then turned around and accessed her console again, five pictures of different rose quartzes appearing before her. She glanced at them all in turn. "Which one of you will it be?"

"I suppose I'll just have to inspect them all myself. At least one of them must have the qualities I'm looking for."

* * *

 _Four visits later…_

* * *

Pink rubbed her temples in exasperation. It was astounding, she was four for four now and not one of them had what she was looking for.

All four of them had both her powers and all four of them had some degree of mastery over them, but that wasn't what she was looking for, not really.

The first rose quartz seemed to have reveled in her power. She was in a facet with a lot of… what did Onyx call them… plant? Yes, plants around them and she made them dance and move, but she did not respect them. Even the other gems around her seemed to fear her and her power.

The second had lacked… imagination. She was a soldier, serious, almost too much. She had no sense of levity and followed Pink's orders to the letter but that in itself was a bit of the problem, she had virtually no sense of autonomy. Tasks before her were simply objectives that needed to be met and nothing more, the was no thoughts or feeling about what needed to be done, it just was done.

The third had been a bit too eager to please. She followed Pink's orders but started making requests and suggestions to her as well. She would constantly ask Pink if her actions "pleased her" and it felt a bit too much like the gem was trying to impress her, to a somewhat uncomfortable degree.

The last one she visited was probably her best so far, but still not what she was looking for. This rose quartz had powers but she didn't seem interested in using them, not for any practical use anyways. She was shy and skittish, a very un-warrior like personality for a quartz. She seemed uninterested in other gems, only in her own affairs.

Now she was heading back to facet five, the location of her last candidate.

Stars, she had a lot riding on this.

She approached the facet and set down near the crevice of the newly formed kindergarten. She frowned as she took a looked around, the last few years had not been kind to this place. What had once been green and filed life had withered away, replaced with greys and blacks that darkened the ground giving it a dead look. The injector pods stood motionless where they'd been set down casting shadows from the sun into the abyss below. She didn't want to see this happen to the rest of the planet, but time was running out.

As it happened she saw a group of rose quartz walking along the other side of the ravine. She jumped across and greeted the startled gems. They saluted and greeted her and when she asked on the specific rose quartz they only pointed out into the deep savanna.

Pink made her way out there and after began to look for the gem. For a bright pink eight-foot tall quartz, she was proving surprisingly hard to find. But something caught her eye in the distance, a half-dozen of the "predators", if she was remembering that word correctly, were gathered in a circle. They had probably just caught some food, but something made Pink Diamond drawn near.

The beasts parted and in the center of the gathering the rose quartz was revealed. She was currently hunched over one of the beasts, it appeared to be in pain from the sound of its weak voice, something halfway between roaring and mewling. Pink watched as a single tear left her cheek and plopped down onto the beast. The roar-mewling ceased and after a moment the beast got to its feet. It got near to the quartz's face and a single lap of its tongue came out, licking her.

The quartz giggled ruffling the ears. "You're welcome." She then gave it a slap on its behind. "Go on. You guys should get going." The pack of beasts left and the rose quartz watched after, seemingly lost in a sort of whimsy.

"Ahem." Pink cleared her throat getting the attention of the quartz who looked up at her, as if for the first time noticing her.

"Whoa, my Diamond. Forgive me. I didn't see you there." She said sheepishly, getting to her feet and saluting.

"It's fine, I saw that you were otherwise preoccupied."

"Yes, I walked off from the kindergarten. Because… well… I don't really like it that much to be honest."

"You don't like the place of your creation?"

The quartz threw her hands up in a gesture of mercy. "Please, don't think me ungrateful for my existence it's just… It just seems… so…"

"Dead." Pink said.

"'Dead'?" the quartz asked.

"It's a word I was taught. When a place lacks organic life, it's 'dead'."

The quartz nodded. "Yes, that sounds right. It's too 'dead' for me."

"So, you came out here to find 'life'." Pink concluded.

The quartz chuckled, rubbing the back of her head. "Yes, I suppose I did."

The Diamond motioned for her to follow. "Walk with me."

The quartz complied and two began walking side by side, back towards the kindergarten. "So, why do you like all this so much?" she gestured to all around them.

The rose quartz put a hand to her chin. "I guess I just find it all so fascinating."

"Oh?"

"I mean I've been around for an entire year on this planet and I haven't changed a bit, but I've seen everything just seem to move around me. Not one thing I've seen is the same even moment to moment here, I find it so remarkable. Nothing's boring at least." She suddenly paled looking to Pink Diamond quickly. "Not that I find _you_ boring or anything or the other gems it's just_"

Pink held up a single hand and she stopped. Pink gave her a serious look before a smile kind broke upon her features. "It's alright." She bent down and whispered. "To be honest, I agree with you."

"You do?" the quartz asked genuinely surprised.

Pink knelt down so they could see eye to eye. "Rose Quartz, I have a proposition for you. How would you like to help me save this world?"

* * *

 **A bit short, but hey, it's done!**


	22. Ch 22: Crystal

**Chapter 22, there's a catch, get it?**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 22: Crystal

 _One month later…_

* * *

"Pink, how are things?" came, as always, the business-first tone of Yellow Diamond.

"We're not falling behind, if that's what you called for." Pink replied.

"Good. No problems or delays?"

"We're on schedule, Yellow."

"What about the… natives?"

"We've had no trouble with them thus far, I doubt they will be any such kind in the future." Pink replied.

"All the same, be wary. Organics can be quite the nuisance if you aren't diligent in their control."

"I assure you Yellow, I will do whatever is necessary when the time comes." Pink said, her face serious.

Yellow took this as solemn determination and the edges of her straight face nearly curved upwards, but only nearly. "Good. Yellow out." The screen went blank and disappeared.

Pink sighed. Between Yellow micromanaging and "dealing" with the organics, she was maintaining quite the balancing act. She didn't want to spring her ideas on her sisters too early, so she had to do what she could practically in secret. If they found out what she was doing before she was ready, at best they'd tell her to drop it and follow the colony's plan, and at worst… she didn't like thinking what _that_ would entail, her imagination painting a progressively darker picture every time she did.

Luckily for her, her four companions happened to walk in. She smiled as they approached. "So, Flint, 'Amethyst'… how went the strike team?"

Flint smirked. "Was there any ever doubt? We crushed them in less than a day, freed the humans and went on our way."

Amethyst returned to her true form. "Convincing the other gems of the importance of this mission, however, was a bit tricky. Frankly, I doubt we would have been able to get it done at all without orders coming directly from you."

"You didn't hurt them did you?"

"Err… define 'hurt'." The grey quartz asked.

Onyx shot her a look before returning her gaze to Pink. "They'll be fine, Pink."

"So, how are you preventing the sarrukh from capturing more humans?' she asked.

"We set up patrols around their usual hunting paths, anytime we see a human come near or see a human captured we intervene."

"Anything new to report about them?"

"The humans or the sarrukh?" Onyx asked.

"Either."

"Well… no."

Pink's face dropped. "No? What do you mean no? Nothing? You've learned nothing?"

"Nothing significant." Flint replied.

"Honestly Pink, whatever you're hoping to find that's gonna impress your sisters, we haven't found it yet."

Pink raised a brow. "You say that like you got a better idea."

Onyx seemed a bit apprehensive but spoke after a moment. "I do, but I'm not sure if you're going to approve."

"Oh, this ought to be good."

"If we want to find out more about them, find this 'quality' about them that you're looking for, I think we need to..." She looked up as if the word she was looking for was somehow suspended from the ceiling. "…appropriate some subjects."

"You want to capture these humans. Imprison them." Pink clarified.

"I wouldn't put it like that, I mean it's not like we would mistreat them or anything."

Pink shook her head. "That isn't the point, Onyx. We're trying to save these organics, not enslave them."

"Actually, my Diamond, it isn't a bad idea." Peridot interjected as the Diamond turned her gaze to her. "We could possibly build facilities to house the organics. With Onyx's expertise of them and my own specialty with design, I think we can create quite the comfortable facility for them." Pink gave a strange look something between disapproving and curious. "I know you may not like the idea, but this could be our best chance."

The Diamond's hand went to her chin. She _didn't_ like it. Not one thing about it. But progress was stalled. The methods they had been using were of no further use. And she still needed something to show to her sisters.

Pink closed her eyes. "I don't like this, but I see I have little recourse. Onyx, Peridot, you're tasked with designing and implementing this facility. Take what… subjects… you need but _only_ what you need. Understand?"

Peridot did a little bow. "I'll have it designed within the week and built within the month."

"Good. See to it." Peridot and Onyx left the room and Pink looked to Flint. "In the meantime, I want you to watch over the organic patrols, make sure my orders are followed to the letter."

"Got it." Flint replied before walking away as well.

With just the two of them left Pink looked down to her pearl. "So, where is White Pearl?" she asked.

"I was training her a bit earlier, but she said she wanted to try practicing on her own for a little while. I'm sure she'll be along shortly." The two of them heard the sound of approaching footsteps and turned to look. "And look who it is, your new protégé." Pearl said as they watched Rose Quartz draw nearer.

Pink narrowed her eyes and said in almost a whisper. "Quiet you."

Pearl just shrugged as the quartz continued to approach.

She saluted as she reached the top stair. "My Diamond, you summoned me?"

Pink turned to her. "indeed, I did. You see, I wanted your opinion on something."

"I would be glad to give it." She replied.

"You are aware of my intentions to mitigate the damage to the Earth, yes?"

"Your intentions yes, your plan… well… no." Rose replied. "You asked me to help you save the planet, and I'm all for it." She glanced through the glass to the Earth below. "But you didn't say how."

"You are aware of my sisters, yes?"

"Blue Diamond, Yellow Diamond, and White Diamond? Of course." Rose replied, noticing a slight wince from Pink at the mention of the eldest gem, but not commenting on it.

"And you are aware that this is my colony, my first colony. Yes?"

"I am." Rise said, unsure where the Diamond was going with this. "Not to be disrespectful, my Diamond. But what are you getting at?"

The Diamond was silent for a moment the she suddenly stood up. "Let's head down to the surface."

Both gems nearly did a double take, this sudden interest to leave coming out of nowhere. "The surface? My Diamond what-?" Pearl began before her Diamond quickly looked to her.

"Pearl, stay here watch over things while I'm away." she then turned back to Rose. "Come, let's get going." With that Pink began walking down the stairs.

Rose quickly snapped back to reality, shaking her head a little. "Yes, of course. I'm right behind you, my Diamond."

As they reached the stairs to descend a white blur suddenly came rushing up the stairs, the high-pitched voice of a pearl accompanying it. "Sorry I took so long I-Oof!" she slammed right into Rose and bounced off the much larger gem.

Pink gave a small look of surprise as did Rose who bent down, hand extended. "Sorry about that. Are you alright?"

Pearl took the hand without looking and quickly got up, brushing herself off. "Yes. And if anyone should be apologizing it should be-" she stopped as she beheld the gem in front of her, Pearl's face suddenly gaining a look of awe as the last word tumbled out almost inaudibly. "-me."

Pink snapped everyone back to reality as she coughed into her hand. "Well, we should be going."

"Ah, right." Rose replied then looking to Pearl. "It was nice to meet you." She said giving a wide grin.

The two descended the stairs and Pearl watched them leave as her Pink counterpart walked up to her. "Hey, White, you alright?"

"Who was that?" she asked.

Pearl looked down the descending staircase, a small frown upon her features. "The new favorite."

* * *

Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz found themselves walking on a shoreline. The Diamond had put down a small ship nearby and suggested they do so. The quartz wondered if she should say something, to break the silence, yet every time she was about to she could swear her Diamond was about to start speaking and would immediately shut up, only for Pink to also remain silent. This went on for the better part of a half-hour before Rose finally decided to say something regardless.

"My Diamond, not to be rude, but you did summon me for a reason, didn't you?"

"Yes, because I wanted your opinion."

"And again, I would be happy to give it, but I need to know what it is you want my opinion on."

The Diamond then stopped walking, so Rose also stopped. Pink suddenly turned towards the ocean and sat down, crisscrossing her legs and staring out to the horizon. Rose watched her but said nothing. Then her Diamond spoke. "Why do you want to save this planet?" she asked.

Rose was caught off guard by the sudden question, nevertheless, she answered. "There's so much unique life here. Beings with such simple, yet such fascinating lives. Everything we are as gems? That's who we are, it's who we'll always be, forever. But even moment to moment these creatures are always changing, not always for the better but even when it's not they don't give up, they just change in a different way. I think they're worth saving, even if it means we can't make a colony here."

Pink smiled, still looking off into the distance. "I think so too." She picked up a handful of sand and held it up to her face, now looking at it. After a moment, several small crabs started to crawl out, their pincers snapping. "I want to save them because I think we can learn so much from them."

Rose raised an eyebrow at this. "What do you mean?"

The Diamond set down the sand and the crab scurried off into the ocean or buried themselves. "How old are you, Rose Quartz?"

"I've been out of the ground for a year and several months now."

"Do you know how long I've been around? Twenty-one thousand years, and I spent most of that time on colony worlds leaning everything I could about them. Do you want to know what I learned about each and every one?"

"What's that?"

The Diamond threw her hands into the air. "They're all the same! Each and every one!" Rose said nothing but gave a look that asked for elaboration. "Some are big, some are small, some were planets, others were moons but in the end? All the same." She turned to look at Rose. "Our kind has reached a period of stagnation that's been going on since we left Homeworld for the very first time. But then look at this planet!" she said motioning to all around them. "They can't even stay the same for longer than an hour. But I find that so fascinating because they're constantly improving themselves, but us? If we can't do something we are never going to do it. We may design a new type of gem that could do whatever we need, but not any of the gems before it. Instead of us expanding our empire further to make ourselves greater, I think we should look inside, and change just like them."

"So, you want to save them… because you want to _use_ them?" Rose asked.

Pink detected a tone and softened her eyes, a small frown now showing. "You disapprove?"

Rose was hesitant but spoke anyways. "It's just… shouldn't we leave these creatures to their own devices? You make it sound like you want to enslave them, harness their power."

"You may have a point. It may not be our place to influence these creatures. We are far from Homeworld and we have little business interfering in their lives, but…"

"But something… no someone is putting you up to this, aren't they?" Pink was silent as she turned her head away from the quartz now focusing back on the horizon. Rose's eyes then widened with realization. "It's the other Diamonds, isn't it?!"

Pink nodded. "Those planets I mentioned? Those colonies? A great many of them were once inhabited by organics, just like here, but when we completed the colony…"

"…You destroyed their home, you destroyed them." Rose finished.

"Not me... But, now that I've been put in charge of a potential colony, they do want the same for this world as they did for those worlds."

The quartz took a step forward, touching her Diamond's arm. "But… but you can't! That would be horrible!"

"I'm glad you think so, Rose Quartz. I think so as well." She said glancing down at her but not turning her head.

"You have to stand up to them! Tell them you won't do it!"

"You don't know what that's like Rose. They raised me, everything I know, everything I _am_. It's because of them. If I told them I wouldn't build a colony because of all the life here Yellow and Blue would not react well at all. At best, they'd say that organic life here is inconsequential and that I have a duty to our society by making this place another colony and if I still refused they'd just replace me and complete the colony anyways. At worst…" She sighed. "At worst, they'd think I'd gone insane, perhaps imprison me, or perhaps… even worse than that."

She was silent for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "It's why I'm…" she stopped, should she let Rose know of this? Was she really the one to pin her hopes on? Well, it's not like she had any better options. "It's why I've been studying some of the organics."

"Studying them?"

"Their habits and mannerisms, what they can do, their potential. I want to know everything about them. It's also why I had you Rose Quartzes made." Pink explained.

"You mean how I can communicate with some of the organics? Like how you can?"

"Exactly. With your abilities, you'd be a natural bridge between us and organics."

"But why?"

"Because if I can find something, _anything_ , that could show that killing these creatures would be far more wasteful then preserving them, I could save them. Though they'd still be part of our empire, at least they'd be alive and you'd be there to help them through it."

"And if your sisters still want to annihilate the life here? What then? Would you fight them?" Rose asked, her face serious.

Pink turned to her fully. "Your fellow gems, your sisters, who popped form the wall with you, you must be close with some of them. Yes?"

"A few." The quartz admitted.

"Would you want to fight any of them?"

"No…"

"And neither do I."

"But what if it comes down to choosing between this world and all its life, or your sisters?"

Pink's frown grew deeper. "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

* * *

 _2 Years Later…_

* * *

Peridot was practically brimming as she and Onyx stood side by side before Pink Diamond. Flint and Pearl were also present as well, standing on either side of the chair while she faced them. "I think you're going to like this, my Diamond. We've really come though."

"You'd better hope so. Today's the big day." Flint reminded.

"Don't you worry. There's no way they can refute our logic." Onyx replied confidently, once again in her Amethyst disguise.

"Let's hope so." Pink said looking through the glass ceiling as she saw the blue vessel of her sister approach. "The future of this planet will be decided in the next few minutes."

Within only a few moments Blue Diamond and her Pearl stepped up from the stairs. Pink rose from her seat and walked towards her. They briefly embraced before Blue formally addressed her sister. "Pink, you told me you have something important to show me?"

The younger Diamond smiled. "I do, but we need to get in contact with Yellow as well."

Blue raised a brow at that. "This must be really important if you're wanting to make sure we're all here."

"I know she can't come from Homeworld, but I still want her to see this." Pink replied as she walked back to her seat and sat down. Pink clapped twice and suddenly the floor opened up and another chair came from beneath, as large and regal as Pink's though a bit off to the side from the console rather than directly in front of it as hers was.

Blue sat down, her pearl by her side, as Pink accessed the console and opened the Diamond communication line. After a few moments Yellow's pearl answered the call. "Yellow Diamond control room how may I direct your call?"

"I want to speak with Yellow Diamond." Pink ordered.

"Connecting now, one moment please."

The face of Yellow Diamond soon appeared before them. If Pink didn't know better she would have said her sister was scowling, but this was simply her neutral relaxed face. "Pink, why have you-" she stopped as she noticed her other sister. "Blue? Why are you there?"

"It seems Pink has something important to show us." Blue replied.

"is that so?" Yellow said before turning back to Pink. "Why have you not informed either of us about this before now?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Pink replied.

"I don't like surprises, Pink."

"Come Yellow, let's hear her out, what could be the harm?" Blue asked, supporting her younger sister.

Yellow sighed. "Very well." She crossed her arms on screen. "Get on with it then."

Pink turned to Peridot, moving her chair slightly out of the way. "The floor is yours Peridot."

The green gem looked a bit nervous but Pink's nod and smile calmed her nerves as she stepped up, between the two Diamonds and the console lowered to her height. The holographic display of Yellow moved to the side as a presentation began to unfold before them.

Within moments a finished model of Earth as a planetary colony was before them. "Earth, as you can see in time it will make a fine colony. Eight-nine kindergartens, sixty-seven spires and a galaxy warp within each facet, effect and complete use of all available materials. As you can see it will make a grand colony in time. But, what if I told you there was a better way?" Pink watched as her sisters seemed to share mirrored expressions of slight curiosity and confusion.

Peridot continued the show, typing commands into the console and the finished colony disappearing, to replaced by another different image. Before them stood a human male, in holographic form for all to see. "Presenting the Humans!" she said, her showmanship helping to present her case. "By all estimates the most intelligent organic life on the planet. As you can see they are-" Pink began to turn out as Peridot went on but looked to her sister faces for their reactions.

Blue's face, which had once been only slightly confused and curious seemed to toss the later out as the confusion on her sister's face became more and more evident as the green gem droned on excitedly.

Yellow's face however remained utterly stoic. But as Peridot went on Pink watched the lines of her elder sister's face become more and more defined, a frown clearly forming.

"…as you can see." Peridot said moving to the last part of the presentation. "In conclusion, the colony plans of the Earth should be replaced and the new plan for preservation and cultivation of life here be implemented immediately."

Pink looked back to her sisters with hope. She knew Peridot was a good researcher, she knew facts and statistics like no one else, if anyone could convince her sisters of the tactical importance of sparing Earth, it was her. But as she looked to them her hope significantly faltered.

Blue's face was one of complete confusion. Not of what she had just seen but more of why she had just seen it.

Yellow on the other hand was much different. She had closed her eyes and gripped the bridge of her nose, as if suffering from a massive headache. She then spoke, clearly and with finality. "Everyone but my sisters, leave. Now."

Peridot's own prideful smile had also faltered and she looked to Pink wondering what she did wrong as did the others, but she simply nodded and the group descended the stairs, leaving the Diamonds by themselves.

There was a tense silence as Blue looked unhappily to her younger sister and Yellow seemed to be trying to center herself as she inhaled deeply. "Pink, what is this? What are you doing?" she asked at last.

Pink was now the one who was confused. "What do you mean? I-"

"We gave you instructions on what to do with this planet, all you had to do was follow them. So, I ask again, what are you doing?" Yellow said, eyeing her sister with a narrowed gaze.

"I thought that maybe, a colony wasn't the best idea for this planet. That maybe it could be used for a different purpose." Pink replied.

"If we wanted to use this planet for something else, _we_ would have told _you_ , not the other way around." Yellow said in her reprimanding voice.

"But Yellow, what about the potential here? We could use this planet for so much more then another colony among the thousands we have!" Pink argued.

"You are asking us to lower ourselves to these lesser creatures and work with them to build, what, some sort of reservation for them?! And for what?! Meager returns on all the resources we would be putting into this?!" Yellow argued back.

"But Yellow-!"

"I've heard ENOUGH!" Yellow shouted, slamming a fist onto her throne. "You _will_ do as you have been told and build this colony! You _will_ forget about these ridiculous plans! You _will_ forget about your obsession over these organics! And you _will_ do it immediately! Is that UNDERSTOOD?!" Pink said nothing, a mixture of horror and surprise on her features, never expecting such a response from Yellow. "Yellow Diamond. Out." she said before her screen flickered off and disappeared.

Blue watched the entire scene unfold but remained quiet as her younger sister turned to her. "Blue, surely you see why I did this, what this planet could offer us."

The older diamond simply looked to her sadly, but in a way that spoke of pity for her rather than sympathy. "Pink, she's right. This plan… it's ludicrous. This is the way we've done things. This is the way we've _always_ done things. Just stop with these delusions and finish the colony." With that she stood up and began to leave but Pink caught her around the wrist.

"Please, Blue! Just listen! This can work! I just need you to believe me!" She pleaded.

Blue said nothing, only staring at her sister with that sad, pitying look and Pink's grip relaxed and let go allowing Blue Diamond to walk away. Pink stared off dejectedly at the floor, not knowing what to do, not knowing what to say. Eventually her gems filled in one by one, gathering close to Pink Diamond, but giving her space, all sharing looks of worry for their leader.

"My Diamond, are you…?" Pearl drew closer but Pink pulled away, standing up suddenly.

"I… need to be alone right now." And with that she walked off and descended the stairs.

* * *

 _One week later…_

* * *

Pink was at her console once more going through some of the colony preparation files.

Suddenly something that had never happened since Pink had been there happened. An alarm sounded, the emergency kind. Suddenly her console was filling up with failure notifications. She began to access them quickly skimming through most of them. She saw they were mostly notifications about warp pads, more them half them had been destroyed, nearly simultaneously, and including the galaxy warp. She saw other notifications, battle had suddenly and unexpectedly broken out in the same facets in which these warps had been destroyed.

She sorted through them all, quickly dolling out orders as she could and doing what she could.

Suddenly she had a notification shown on her console. Someone was using the main communication hub on Earth to transmit. She accessed it and suddenly she came face to face with the serious and determined face of Rose Quartz.

"Citizens of the Gem Empire, hear me now!" She said, her voice brimming and booming with confidence. "I am Rose Quartz. I am a gem that was made on the soon-to-be colony known as Earth! But know this! It is a colony no more!" All across the cosmos, gems were stopping what they were doing as they received the signal from Earth. "My friends and I have decided that the life here is worth protection and preservation! Not only that, but it shall be a safe haven for any gem who wants to be more than what they were made to do! For any of those wishing to turn Earth into a colony know this! You shall be met with resistance and you will be defeated! And Homeworld? I know you're listening so hear this! Leave! And never come back! Or face the fury of the Crystal Gems!" the transmission suddenly cut and the screen disappeared.

Pink sighed, resting her hand on her chin. "So… it begins."

* * *

 **BOOM! IT'S ON NOW! Please review.**


	23. Ch 23: Wooden

**Chapter 23, war… war never changes… except for the place, the time, the people fighting it, why they're fighting, what weapons they're using… you know what? War always changes! What moron came up with that slogan?**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 23: Wooden

 _A hundred years later…_

* * *

The rain was coming down hard, and the battlefield was quiet now.

It was funny.

Only a little while ago it had been alive with the sound of clashing weapons and artillery fire, but now? Now it was quiet. Silent.

Flint sat down on an outcropping of rock and wiped some mud from her chin. The war for Earth had been much of a stalemate. Every time it seemed Homeworld took back another facet from the rebels they'd receive reports about one of their other bases on Earth falling to them. Well, all except the galaxy warp she supposed, which the rebels had destroy beyond recognition, now just a pile of shiny stone and smooth marble. They had taken the site back many time, but every time they did and began to reconstruct it the rebels would show up and return it to rubble.

There had been talks about trying to build structures elsewhere but that had its own problems.

For one, even if they somehow managed to keep it a secret from the rebels, it would have to remain that way for _years_. Which was pretty much impossible to do.

Rose Quartz, _the_ Rose Quartz. When Flint had first seen her, she didn't really know what to think. She had heard from Peridot that Pink Diamond had requested her creation, the creation of all Rose Quartz, some new gem type, but she wouldn't say more than that.

Flint had done some inspection to the Rose Quartz line, and for the most part they just seemed to be another quartz-type of a different color, no more or less. Except for _the_ Rose Quartz who stood head and shoulders above her sisters. In the following years after her creation, Pink seemed to have taken a special interest in her, taking her under her wing and teaching the gem everything she knew.

Now she was rebelling against Pink Diamond, against them all. Though why she was rebelling was the really confusing part. Rose's usual mantra that was heard was that she wanted for life on Earth to be protected and preserved and for all gems to have the freedom to choose what they want to do, who they want to be.

This was confusing to Flint because, as far as she knew, Pink Diamond wanted the same thing. So why act against her like this?

The grey quartz then considered her own feeling on the subject. To say she cared about life on Earth wouldn't be untrue. They had their charms, and they were interesting beings these organics, in their own flawed way. But would she have fought Homeworld to protect them? Not likely. But if it had been Pink Diamond who had staged this rebellion, would she have then?

Flint shock her head. _"No point in dealing with in the 'what ifs'."_ She thought as an amethyst approached and saluted her. The grey quartz made a waving gesture and she relaxed. "Commander Flint! Urgent call from Pink Diamond!"

Flint nodded, standing up. "Thanks, you can go now." The grey quartz ran her fingers through her hair before walking over towards the portable camp they'd set up.

As Flint walked she watched her troops cleaning up what was left. The battle hadn't been very long but it had been one of the bigger ones they'd had since the rebellion began. Shards of troops from both sides littered the ground, making the muddied field light up and twinkle with each lightning flash.

The grey quartz stepped inside the small portable structure and was met with salutes. She waved them off and they went back to their duties. Since the rebellion had begun Flint had been essentially the commander of Homeworld's forces, only three other gems were given such authority here. The only one with higher authority than herself on this planet now was Pink Diamond.

She didn't really care for it.

She preferred to do the work of regular soldiers, not of commanders. She wanted to fight and win on the front lines not plan and lead from the back and send troops to their destruction. So, that's exactly what she did. When Flint was on the field she lead by example and often rallied her troops to victory. So, while she was the commander she was also one of their best warriors and supposedly that inspired her troops. She didn't know about all that. All she did was fight and lead the best she knew how. Still, the respect she'd gained from it felt pretty good, if nothing else.

On a small holographic table in front of her the image of Pink Diamond appeared before her. Flint saluted to the image, if for no other reason than to make sure the gems around her knew of her respect for the Diamond despite their mostly informal relationship.

"Flint. Report."

"My Diamond, we've managed to route the rebel forces here, sector R7 of facet 2 is secure."

"That's good to hear Flint. I knew I was right sending you."

Flint couldn't hold back a cocky grin. "I aim to please."

"How many did we lose?" Pink asked.

"Estimates range in the hundreds on both sides, possibly thousands." She replied grimly.

"I see. Was there any sign of _her_?"

Flint shook her head. "There were reports that she may have been, but nothing was confirmed."

Pink nodded. "Understood. Thank you." The transmission ended.

Flint took a big sigh. She had a feeling this war had only just-

"Commander!" came a voice from outside. The quartz turned to look and saw a ruby saluting to her.

"What is it?"

"We found an intact gem." She informed.

"One of ours?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so." She said producing the stone. It was blue and in the shape of a tear. Flint picked it up, inspecting it.

"A lapis lazuli gem?" She turned it over and over in her hand. Not a single scratch on it. "Where did you find this?"

"Just… did. I was walking around and then I saw it and picked it up." The ruby said simply.

"Looks like we got a prisoner to interrogate later then." Flint replied as she bubbled the gem.

This was an odd find to say the least. Any gem that lost their physical form in the midst of battle was usually destroyed shortly thereafter. But this gem didn't have so much as a scuff mark on it. Almost… almost as if it had been placed there deliberately.

But why?

* * *

Pink Diamond rubbed her temples, this was already the fourth call she'd made today and it wasn't even mid-day on Earth. Checking on her commanders and looking over report after report day in and day out was her routine now. She looked past them towards the planet right outside the window. She hadn't been able to walk freely on the Earth in over eighty years, something she dearly missed. She noticed another call coming in. And speaking of routing and calls…

She pressed a single button and the frowning face of Yellow met the weary one of Pink. "Pink, it's been one hundred sixty-eight hours. Any updates?"

"Nothing significant since the last time. We've won a battle."

"A single battle. But not the war." Yellow replied in the superior-to-you tone she was used to using.

Pink narrowed her eyes. "What do you want me to do? We have no idea where the Crystal Gems are hiding."

Yellow considered this. "Yes, it seems like they're always a single step ahead of us."

The young Diamond straightened up a bit. "You think there's a traitor among us."

"Without a doubt."

"How do we find this traitor?"

"I have a few ideas on that." Yellow replied confidently.

"Such as?"

"I'm sending more reinforcements. They have something that may help you with this problem."

"Very well. If there's nothing else-"

"Yes, actually, there is." Yellow said. "You see, I had a thought."

"Just the one?" Pink asked, perhaps a little _too_ snidely.

Yellow sneered at her but continued. "These gems, when we last dealt with 'rebels' all those years ago, we Diamonds all partook in the battles fought and from beginning to end it was all over in the span of several months. I believe we can bring a swifter end if we do the same here."

Pink's eyes shot open at that as she suddenly leaned forward. "What?! Are… are you saying you and Blue are coming here?"

Yellow shook her head. "The situation is not quite that dire yet. No, _you are_ the one who will be doing the fighting this time." Yellow pressed a few buttons on her throne and suddenly a holographic map was in front of Pink, a detailed depicting of a base of some sort as well as a map to its location. "My sources tell me of a large rebel base at these coordinates, you will find it and destroy it."

Pink paused, processing the information. "Very well, I'll assemble a team of my best-"

"No." Yellow said, cutting off her little sister.

"No?"

"Yes. No." Yellow confirmed. "You will go there and you will go there _alone_."

Pink gave a true look of confusion. "What?! You expect me to assault a heavily-armed base _by myself_."

"I do."

"The odds would be terrible! I'd be outnumbered a thousand to one!"

"Ten-thousand would still not equal the might of a single Diamond." Yellow said pointedly. "I know of your powers, Pink. The area which this base is located in is heavily covered with those organics you seem to have an affinity with. You should be able to do this. And I will make sure you are."

"How's that?"

Yellow pressed another button on her throne and suddenly from above Pink a small orb descended and from it grew an eye. It looked at her and blinked… or maybe it was a wink, the young Diamond couldn't really tell with only one eye. "This is a wandering eye drone. With it, I'll be able to record and see everything it sees."

Pink looked at it then back to her sister. "When were you going to tell me about this thing? Were you going to use it to spy on me?"

"It hasn't been used before now and I would never use it for such a purpose Pink. Calm yourself." The drone floated down to Pink and hovered by her shoulder. "Simply take it with you and it will do the rest. It has self-preservation protocols so the odds of it getting destroyed before its purpose is complete is low."

"Good to know." Pink said watching it for a moment before turning back to her sister. "I suppose I should get going then."

"Good luck and be safe, little sister. Show them the might of the Diamonds." With that Yellow's picture faded and Pink was left alone.

She looked to the still floating map and sighed. Shutting it off and heading for her personal craft, the eye close behind.

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

* * *

The rain was still coming down hard at Echo base. Bismuth had just heard about another battle loss and was assessing the data presented to her. She didn't really like all this commanding stuff. She'd rather be at her forge right now, coming up with some new weapons for her fellow gems against the homeworld flunkies. But Rose trusted her to watch over Echo for now, at least until she could find someone suitable to replace Bismuth there. _"Pfft."_ Thought Bismuth _"Good luck with that."_

Suddenly an alert went off on Bismuth's console. She quickly assessed the situation it described. An unknown object had just triggered their outermost perimeter sensors. It had landed several clicks from them to the west. Bismuth accessed the intercom, it might be the enemy had finally found them. "Crystal gems! Listen up! Looks like somebody wants to crash our party! We going to let them Echo base?!" A series of whoops and hollers could be heard from all over and the multi-colored gem grinned. "That's what I thought! Let's show them what happens when you fight on our turf!" Echo base had top notch fortifications, Bismuth had made sure of that personally and over twenty-four hundred gems here. Whoever had just come was in for a world of hurt.

Suddenly a voice rang clear cutting through the night and rain. One that Bismuth recognized instantly. "Crystal gems! Give up this place! Flee or surrender peacefully now! I promise if you comply none of you will be broken! But to any who stay, be warned, you will lose this base and you will lose your lives."

Bismuth gave a cocky grin, cranking the volume on the intercom. "Well, well, well! Would you look what we have here gems! Pink Diamond herself has graced us with her presence! What an honor! Am I right?!" A round of booing and hissing was heard, echoing through the trees. She watched as most of her fellow gems were starting to get into defensive positions, on turrets and watching from the walls. "Tell you what Pink Diamond, you want to take this base?! Why don't you come and GET IT?!" she finished as the last of the words echoed through the base and out into the dark jungle.

The drone looked to Pink, the small buzzing voice of Yellow Diamond emanating from it. "You've given them their chance Pink. Show them what it means to challenge a Diamond."

Pink Diamond nodded once and the drone floated off, getting a safe distance away as Pink clasped her hands together in front of her and closed her eyes. _"Forgive me."_

The multi-colored gem got from her commander's office and walked out to one of the inner ramparts of the base. It was two stories one lower to the ground and wide, its perimeter being the outer rampart and the inner rampart in the middle of it, taller and a bit more defensive than its counterpart. She looked west towards the source of the initial disturbance. "That's where she'll strike from, I bet." She said to one of the gems standing next to her.

Suddenly the sound of wood bending and scraping against itself began to be heard from all across the dark jungle, the vague outlines of trees even just outside the base in the pitch blackness could be seen moving. Many of them looked like they were twisting and turning. Others looks like they were vibrating violently, and more still seemed to be moving back and forth or gaining and losing height.

Then just as suddenly, it went quiet. The sound of rain now the only thing in the darkness that could be heard.

 _ **WHAM**_

Bismuth and her gems looked towards the west door.

 _ **WHAM**_

Something was beating against it and Bismuth smiled. "See? Just like I-"

 _ **WH-WHAM**_

The multi-colored gem and others now looked towards the east door. The slamming on both doors was happening just out of synch and this confused Bismuth. Did Pink Diamond have extra forces? She was sure she saw only one signature and it was a small one at that. Maybe she somehow lead a few hundred gems there from far off so they couldn't properly see the numbers? But then why-

 _ **WH-WHA-WHAM**_

Now the north gate was pounding too. This didn't make any sense, there was no way Pink had brought enough gems for a three-door siege. What was going on here?

Suddenly the whacking stopped. The metal now a little indented from where it had been struck. A tiny piece of wood slipped in each of the doors and then quickly bent the metal even more until it appeared as if two wooden hands were grasping each of the doors and pulling them apart. The crystal gems sprang into action, slashing or beating or shooting, but to little avail, the wood was far too thick for any weapon to cut it all the ay through and eventually the doors on each side were fully open. All the crystal gems tensed, expecting Homeworld gems to start pouring in, but a moment passed than another, still no charge from the outside.

Then off in each distance a figure approached. When they were near enough to see Bismuth looked at them quizzically. They looked like the trees from around the jungle, but they were much different. For one they _moved_. Bismuth had never seen them do that. For another they had bodies, as in body bodies. They moved like other moving organics especially the "gorillas" or the "humans".

One of the crystal gems approached one of the trees and it watched her curiously. The quartz then however side stepped it and cut the tree creature's hand from its wrist. It looked to her and then lifted its stump up, eyeing it, then without even looking the tree smacked the gem away, hitting her across her mid-section and sending her flying.

As if on command a whole bunch of these creatures began to pour in from every direction, all of varying sizes and design. Bismuth jumped down from the inner ramparts and transformed her hands into sharp blades. She fought fiercely as tree after tree kept pouring in and second after second more and more gems were getting poofed. But after fighting ferociously, the last creature fell and Bismuth raised her arms in victory.

"Whoo!" she called out. "Is that all you got Pink Diamond?! A few trees?! We are the crystal gems! You're going to have to do better than that!" Other called out in agreement, more than half of the original gems still standing.

 _ **THOOM**_

A sound echoed in the distance and all turned towards the west gate again.

 _ **THOOM**_

"GET READY!" Bismuth called out again entering a battle stance.

 _ **THOOM**_

Some of the gems on the outer walls froze, others dropped their weapons and jumped down.

"What is it?!" Bismuth called out. "What do… you… see…"

All gems were suddenly silent and frozen as a large silhouette towered before them all. It was one of the tree creatures like before, but almost three times the size of the outer ramparts. A sudden flash of lightning and Bismuth spotted Pink Diamond on its shoulder.

The Diamond raised her hand and the creature did the same, Bismuth's eyes widened as the Diamond then brought her hand down. "GEMS! MOVE! NOW!" But it came a bit too late the mighty and think wooden arm of the creature smashed apart the ramparts with absolute ease and continued on until it hit the metal plates of the floor below it. The metal floor easily gave way and launched gems into the air as the metal was bent inwards. Hundreds, if not thousands of bright lights shined as gems lost their physical forms, many shattered instantaneously while others were smashed against walls or the metal floor.

The multi-colored gem stared in shock and awe but was able to shout out a few words to all remining gems. "GEMS! RETREAT! RETREAT!"

The remining gems headed south towards where they were keeping their aircraft but the creature was advancing quickly, knocking apart the remaining rampart and now working on the upper ramparts. Once it got past that, it would be upon the landing pad. The first of the gem pilots got to the landing pad and quickly did engine checks as the massive wooden creature ripped apart Echo base's command center, throwing it through the air and into the darkness of the forest where it crashed somewhere off in the distance, some poor unfortunate gems likely still within.

The first aircraft managed to get airborne but as it began to take off and away, dozens of thick vines shot from the creature's body and tethered it. The engines began to burn through them but not fast enough as the great wooden arm came up again and smacked it out of the air, sending it spinning towards the ground a few clicks away before it exploded.

There were only three more transports left that could leave and Bismuth was getting on the last one as the other two simultaneously rose to leave. Pink eyed them and reached out with the vines again and grasped them. They attempted to pull away going in opposite directions, but with a single and mighty yank of the creature they were suddenly pulled closer together, colliding in the air and exploding. In a shower of metal and shards.

Bismuth passed a dozen and a half gems before she got to the pilot's seat. "Can't this thing go faster?!"

The gem turned to her. "If that thing set its eyes on us it won't matter if we're in the air or not!" she called back.

"Just do it! Before we-!" Bismuth turned to the window and saw the creature eyeing them and raising its hand one last time.

Suddenly the side of the creature's head exploded and it turned to see several gems on what remained of the ramparts, wielding heavy ordinance. Pink had blocked the explosion of the rocket with an instinctual guard of thick wood. She began to raise her hand to strike at these gems and the creature did the same.

Bismuth turned to the pilot. "This is our chance! It's distracted! GO, GO, GO!" As the creature dealt with the last of the resistance the remaining ship rose into the air and shot off into the night.

Pink and the drone watched it go. "They escaped." Pink observed.

"Indeed. But perhaps that's for the best. They will spread word of this! And I will spread recordings of this night throughout all the Empire, so all may know the penalty of disobedience!" The drone said gleefully.

Pink patted the creature twice and it lowered itself to the ground. The Diamond stepped from its shoulder and observed the destructions she had wrought. Shards of gems, splinters of wood, twisted metal and sparks of electricity surrounded her. The base had been destroyed, completely and utterly.

Pink then turned back to the creature and touched it once on its massive wooden arm. "Thank you for your assistance. You may go now."

The creature said nothing, only tuned to leave as the multitudes of plant life that made its essence seemed to meld back into the ground of the forest.

"You know Pink, you may have had a point with these organics. This is quite impressive." The drone said.

Pink didn't respond sop the drone continued. "At any rate. This was a wonderful victory! I will be sure to-"

The Diamond suddenly fell to her knees and began a coughing fit. She was hunched over as she heaved and the drone drew closer. "Sister? PINK! What's wrong?!" it asked worriedly.

"The strain of using so much of my power all at once, I suppose." Pink replied a little weekly as she clutched her stomach.

The drone was silent for a moment. "Hmm… that is a problem. A power like this could be incredibly useful, but if it requires so much energy… we'll have to revisit this later. For now, take care Pink. And excellent job." The drone then shot off into the air and out of sight.

Pink was left alone then, with one hand she reached down and picked up a single shard, with the other she picked up a large splinter of wood. She looked at them, not sorrowfully or with curiosity, or with pride or happiness nor anger or regret, she just looked at them and felt… nothing.

It was strange.

She thought destroying fellow gems would be a lot more… sad. She had even coerced the organics around her to fight for her, to get hurt and _die_ for her. She felt like she was supposed to be feeling… sorrow? Regret? Anger? Anything? Just… something at that moment.

But she didn't.

She felt nothing.

And it scared her.

* * *

Pink was once again alone, looking over battle reports, her usual routine when she heard someone coming up from the stair behind her.

She turned to look and saw Pearl walk in and Pink greeted her with a smile. "Ah, Pearl, just whom I was hoping to see."

"And why is that?" Pearl asked.

"It's time for another 'meeting'."

"Already?" She asked.

"It's important." Pink confirmed.

"As you say, my Diamond. We'll need somewhere private of course." Pearl informed.

"Of course." The pair walked down the stairs and entered an adjacent room on the second floor. This was Pink's personal and private chamber, it was the smallest of the rooms in the base but still as large as her room back in her spire on Homeworld. Pink sealed it behind her with her authorization and the two found themselves along.

Pearl summoned her sword and her gem began to glow. Towards the wall opposite the door she spun the sword in circles. Over and over again, faster and faster it spun. A hole then ripped itself through the wall, Pink squeezed through, followed closely by Pearl and the hole collapsed.

The pair found themselves in a pink room, clouds of pink hung in the air and they walked through it for a while before, in the distance they saw a gem tending to a pink-hued tree. It was a 'spruce' if Pink was recognizing it correctly. "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting you two this early." She said, turning around to greet them.

"Hello again, Rose."

* * *

 **DONE. Anyways, here's some news. I'm feeling generous, so here's a deal. Ask me questions in your reviews for the next three chapters and in each of the following chapters, I'll see if I can't give you some answers.**


	24. Ch 24: Sides

**Chapter 24, with more.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 24: Sides

"Hello again, Rose."

"Pink. Pearl. It's… good to see you both." Rose said, stepping towards them.

Pink looked around the place. "You've added a few things I see."

"This and that, thanks by the way for creating this place." Rose replied, looking to Pearl.

"It's just a small pocket dimension that I've made accessible to two people, it's no big deal." Pearl said without a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm surprised my Pearl can't do all this."

"I'm afraid this is pretty exclusive to me. Pearls of any kind can store objects, I just found a way to 'store' time and space in such a way that-"

"Alright Pearl, that's enough. We don't need to hear the explanation again." Pink cut off as she looked to the quartz. "This place though, it does seem… nice. But we came for a reason."

"Heh. And here I thought you came all the way to talk about my interior decorating." She sat down, idly running her hand through the pink clouds floating near her, swirling them around.

"Yellow's starting to get suspicious that there's a spy among my gems." Pink said, her voice tinged with worry.

"It's not like she's wrong." Pink said, not looking to the Diamond. "You know, is there anyone close to you that you haven't lied to? Me? The other Diamonds? Your friends? Anybody?"

Pink grimaced. "Something I picked up from my dear sisters, unfortunately. And just like they did it then to protect me I'm doing this for the greater good."

Rose looked to the ground, as if pondering what she should say. "The 'greater good', huh? When you came to me one hundred years ago, I honestly hoped for the best, that they could be convinced otherwise." She narrowed her eyes. "But we both know how that turned out."

Pink narrowed her own eyes. "It's not like I didn't try, Rose. And you hardly seemed opposed to the idea when I suggested the rebellion to you. But, I'm not here to argue with you about this again." Pink pulled out a holographic map. "We have several dozen gems we suspect may be sympathetic to your cause, we'll have them patrol in facet three, you should be able to find them and turn them to your side."

"'My side'? I thought it was _our_ side."

Pink gave a look of annoyance and mild anger. "You know I can't."

"Is that why you had someone else do it for you?" Rose asked. "You could have been a symbol of freedom to gems everywhere in our Empire. But you were too afraid to oppose your sisters, so you created someone who could."

Pink's angered look turned to one of shame and Pearl stepped up between them. "Rose, that's enough! You know she's doing everything she can for you and the Earth!"

"But she's not, is she?" Rose said looking to Pink.

"I know what you want me to say Rose, and I know what you want me to do. But I won't-"

"Open your eyes Pink! This is war now!" Rose said, taking a step toward the Diamond.

Pink's calm broke. "You think I don't know that?! You think I don't _want_ to join you?! "

"Then why don't you?!" The quartz asked, coming out more like s shouting plea than a bark of anger.

"If I joined you now, my sisters would soon descend upon this planet with the full force of the Empire and wipe us all out. As long as I make a good enough show that I have everything under control, they won't interfere, at least for the moment." Pink replied, attempting to lower her voice and calm herself. "At this point the best we can hope for is a long war of attrition, so long that my sisters decide that the planet has become more trouble than it's worth and pull back."

Rose was silent for a moment, until she said something that cut right through to Pink Diamond's core. "Is that why you destroyed Echo base?"

Pink let a few moments of silence pass between them. "You… heard then."

Rose's eyes shot open with a mixture of outrage and shock. "'Heard'? Are you joking?" Rose reached in a took out a holographic transmitter. "Look what's been transmitted over the major frequencies." She pressed a button and suddenly Pink was watching footage of her assault on Echo base. The visuals were crystal clear but the audio had been dubbed over with Yellow's voice.

"Gems of the Empire, you may have heard of the rebellion on Earth! Observe as Pink Diamond crushes one of their most heavily guarded bases with ease! These rebels are _nothing_ but fools to be crushed! Know that our Empire is strong! That your Diamonds are strong! And that no rebellion against us stands a chance!"

Rose turned it off. "It goes on like that for a while."

Pink put a hand to her chin, her eyes reflecting sorrow. "I knew she wanted proof that I was doing everything I could, but to use me as propaganda…"

"Seems you did, a little _too_ well." Rose observed.

"I had to make it look good." Pink said, defending herself.

"Oh, you did that alright. That was a complete wipeout of our forces there. Over a fifth of the rebellion's fighting force, gone in an instant." Rose said, in a surprisingly calm voice. "I had a lot of good friends there, a lot of the remaining rebellion forces did."

"I did what I had to." Pink said, defending herself again, but weaker, as if she herself didn't even believe it.

"You did, did you? You _had_ to obliterate a base full of gems loyal to a cause that you yourself orchestrated?" Rose asked.

"Yes, she did." Pearl said, finally interjecting. Rose turned her attention to her, a bit surprised. Having gotten used to the relatively demure and obedient nature of pearls, hearing one now sounding so outspoken and spirited caught her a bit off guard. "You don't have any idea what Pink has gone through just to keep her sisters away from this planet. You've never been in Yellow Diamond's presence, she's ruthless and efficient but also intelligent and cunning. It's been all Pink's been able to do to keep her and Blue Diamond at bay, and you want to _blame_ her?"

Rose wanted to say something to this, but in the back of her mind, she knew Pearl was correct and instead let out a puff of exasperated air. "I just wish… that you could have found another way."

Pink finally allowed herself to crouch down before leaning backward and falling on her bottom. She let her arms rest on her knees, looking to the skies. "I wish so too, but it's not about what we wish things were like, only working with the way things are. You must be the rebel leader, defender of the planet and symbol of freedom, and I must be the cruel tyrant, enforcer of obedience and destroyer of worlds."

Pink walked closer, then sat down next to Pink. "Do you think things will ever change?"

The Diamond shrugged. "I've been trying to change things for longer than I can remember, Rose. But things have stayed the same for our kind for so long, I'm beginning to doubt we're even capable of it."

Rose shrugged. "Well, if it helps, I think you've done more to change than any other Diamond."

Pink smiled. "If only a little bit at a time, right?""

"Does change happen any other way?" Rose asked.

The both of them lightly chuckled at that, allowing a brief silence to sit between them. Pearl watched on with kind and patient eyes. These two had grown close in an incredibly short amount of time. The way Rose was now, reminded her much of how Pink was before White's fall. She was outspoken and brash about things she perceived to be wrong, much like how Pink was especially with Yellow and Blue. But after White had fallen, a great sadness had overtaken the young Diamond and despite their past grievances sought solace from her sisters. Pink had changed them, but not nearly as much as Pink had changed for them. Both Yellow and Blue became less abrasive towards the lesser gems, adopting some of Pink's more informal attributes such as not talking down as often and speaking harshly to their subordinates only when warranted and not before. But Pink had changed too, she became less outspoken to both of them about things she had previously been vehement against. She started to fall in line with the orders of her sisters and had this planet not been so full of life, it was likely that Pink may have simply followed through with colonial plans.

"And the humans?" Rose asked, changing the subject.

Pink looked down to her. "What about them?"

Rose gave a look. "I know you're moving them, the ones you captured."

"I am." Pink confirmed. "I'm taking them offworld."

"Why?"

"Because they'll be safer, out there." Pink said gesturing to the ceiling, but clearly meaning space.

"But you can't! This is their home!" Rose argued.

"Rose, let's face reality. We may not win this war, I'm doing everything I can to stall our forces but both Yellow and Blue and getting impatient. They may soon take matters out of my hands and if that happens…"

Rose's eyes widened. "You're trying to preserve them."

Pink nodded. "I am. It may be this planet's destiny to become a colony, despite our best efforts. And should that happen, I want at least them to survive."

"Wait what about the sarrukh?" Pearl asked.

Pink turned her gaze down to her. "Peridot told me their nature was too… volatile for peaceful cohabitation with other species, especially with humans. She had them rounded up and sent to the icecaps, where they can hibernate until we know what to properly do with them."

"What if the ice caps start melting?" Pearl asked.

"That wouldn't happen for hundreds of thousands of years." Pink assured. "I mean, in order for the ice to melt where we're keeping them now, the Earth would have to be somehow heated immensely in a short amount of time. And how could that happen?"

"True, it does seem unlikely."

Pink then turned back to Rose. "So, how does the rebellion fare?"

"Better than we feared, but worse than we'd hoped." The quartz replied honestly. "I wish some more rose quartzes were here with me, healing all these gems, one after another. It just never ends."

"I'd like to help on that front, but when the rebellion broke out Yellow ordered me to send the quartzes to vastly different colonies." Pink replied. "Afraid that they'd be more easily swayed to your side."

"I guess I should be glad they're safe, if nothing else." Rose said sadly.

"And your soldiers?"

"They're ready to fight, most of them care little about the Earth itself though. Most of them are here because they see it as a chance to break away from the hierarchy. To do whatever they feel like instead of what they were created for and only what they were created for." The quartz explained. "And that display of power, it rattled a lot of them. It was all I could do just to calm them and stop them from surrendering in doves. Many of them still have faith in me though, thinking I'm some sort of military genius, when really, I'm getting inside information from you."

"Any defectors of note?" Pink asked.

"My Lapis Lazuli, she tried to defect but…"

* * *

A blue gem sneaks around in the night. She thinks she is hidden she thinks she is undetectable.

She thinks wrong.

"Lapis?" Came the voice of Rose as she saw the blue gem leaving their compound. "What are you doing out here? Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

Rose blinked once. "What?"

"I said I'm leaving." Lapis Lazuli repeated.

"You can't leave, we need you!" Rose argued. "We're trying to make a better life here! You're just going to give up on that?"

"A better life for who?!" The blue gem argued back, then pointing at some nearby trees. "For them?! For these 'humans' you seem to be so fond of?!"

"For everyone!" The quartz said, raising her hands above her head. "We're trying to make it so anyone can choose to live the way they want to!"

"And looks what that's already cost us!" Lapis spat back. "We've lost a quarter of the gems who originally rebelled a hundred years ago, and recruitment for more isn't exactly overflowing!" Her face, filled with anger calmed a bit as she tried to compose herself. "We need to face the facts Rose, we're outnumbered and outgunned, this place isn't going to last. I'm going back to Homeworld."

"Is that why you tried to leave like this? So that you could join them and cripple us?" Rose asked.

"This war needs to end Rose, and I know which side is going to win in the end. I like you, and I really like what you're fighting for, but I'm not putting my life on the line anymore, not with these odds. I'm sorry." Lapis said, turning away from her.

Rose closed her eyes and nodded once. "I understand."

"Thank you. I was almost afraid you wouldn't-URK" Lapis' eyes shot wide as she looked down and saw a pink blade protruding itself from her stomach.

Rose whispered in her ear. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry too."

Lapis' face was one of shock. "Rose… you-!" The blue gem poofed and the quartz caught the gem in her hand.

"Don't worry Lapis. I'll make sure you make it back to Homeworld in once piece." Rose said as she bubbled the gem.

* * *

"I see. I do remember her. She was quite powerful for a lazuli gem. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Sadly, that may not even be the worst problem I've had to deal with."

* * *

"Bismuth, you need to calm down." Rose said trying to keep her voice even.

"Calm down?! Calm DOWN?!" Bismuth repeated, her face twisted with anger. "Echo Base was just wiped off the planet like it was _nothing_ and you want me to calm down?!" She shook her head. "I could have done more! I SHOULD HAVE!" she said punching a metal wall, leaving behind fist-shaped a dent.

"It wasn't your fault, Bismuth. There was nothing-"

"You weren't there, Rose! You didn't see what _she_ did!" Bismuth cut off, tears in her eyes. "So many gems… gone… forever… because of _her_ … no… because of _all_ of the Diamonds…"

Rose tried to put a hand on Bismuth's shoulder but she turned away. "Bismuth, you're not helping anyone blaming yourself like this."

Bismuth was silent, then nodded once, her voice now much calmer. "You're right. There's nothing we can do about them, _any_ of them, not yet." The multi-colored gem turned to her a strange look in her eye. "But don't you worry, Rose. I'm going to make something that'll even the odds. Just you watch, even Diamond will shatter."

* * *

Pink raised a brow at that. "Sounds ominous."

Rose shook her head. "Bismuth was always headstrong, but I'm afraid her recent experiences at Echo Base may have changed something in her."

Pearl looked to Pink. "My Diamond, we should head back before anyone misses us."

Pink nodded to her getting up, and the two turned to leave. But Pink stopped and looked down at Pearl and then over to Rose who was watching them leave, then back to Pearl. "Don't you want to ask?"

Pearl looked up at her Diamond for a moment then over to Rose, she walked closer. "Is Pearl…?"

Rose smiled kindly. "She's been doing fine, don't worry."

A sense of relief washed over her. "That's wonderful to hear." She then turned to leave but stopped after a step and looked back to Rose. "Remind her to keep her left flank covered, she was always leaving it exposed."

"I'll be sure to." Rose replied, nodding.

With that Pearl opened another portal and they were gone. Rose picked herself up and brushed herself off and looked to the tree one last time before turning and leaving.

Rose exited her room to see her own Pearl practicing some basic fighting moves. She turned her attention to Rose as she saw her exiting her room. "Rose, did you have that time you needed to reflect on things?"

Rose nodded. "Yes Pearl, it was very relaxing." She walked by and eyed her stance. "You're leaving your left flank open, by the way."

Pearl looked at herself and adjusted. "Oh, so I am. Thank you. I was always… doing that…" Pearl seemed a bit wistful just then, her eyes gaining a glazed appearance.

Rose gave a curious look. "Pearl?"

The lithe gem shook her head, clearing her mind. "Sorry Rose, my mind just wandered off for a bit."

Rose smiled warmly. "it's fine. Are you ready to go?"

Pearl gave a confident smile. "Yes, let's."

* * *

Pink Diamond and Pearl made it back to her room when they heard a banging at the door. "Who could that be?" Pink asked aloud.

Pearl walked over and opened the door, seeing Flint's frowning face staring at them. Onyx, in her Amethyst form, stood next to her giving a look of mild amusement.

"Finally! I've been pounding on this thing for like ten minutes!" Flint said.

"It was less than thirty seconds." Onyx said flatly.

"Anyways!" Flint said changing the subject from her awful sense of time. "Pink, we got a battle meeting to go to."

"Another already?" Pink asked.

"Can't be helped, big rebel activity's been reported." Flint said, shrugging.

Pink sighed. "Very well." She turned to Pearl. "Keep an eye on things alright?"

Pearl nodded and Flint led the way across the round room to the other side where the meeting was being held. Three gems were already inside, looking at a holographic map of Earth being displayed around a table where one end was clearly bigger than the others. The four commanders were an Agate, an Amethyst, another Agate, but of a different type than the first, and Flint as she walked around to her own seat around the table. The four of them all stood up and saluted to her before Pink gave a wave and they all sat down again.

Pink really didn't like these meetings, and not just because she didn't really like discussing fighting in general. No, what she truly disliked was the fact that she knew she was intentionally sabotaging her own gems so that the rebellion would continue having a fighting chance against the hordes of Homeworld forces. These gems were placing their trust in her, to lead them and guide them to victory, when in reality she was only ensuring their defeat.

Though to be fair, this wasn't _all_ the time.

She more or less kept things even, allowing rebels to have the advantage, but only just. If it was too one sided she knew Yellow would suspect something. As it was, the elder gem contributed the rebellion's success to Rose Quartz and her alone, just the way Pink liked it. This war of attrition idea was. so far, the best the Diamond could do, hoping every day that Yellow would call her, tell her they were abandoning the colony idea, and leave. Maybe then Pink could finally sit her sister down and actually get them to open their eyes to a little reformation. But until then…

Flint spoke up first. "Iris, could you catch us up to speed?"

Flint had been questioned about her appointment to such a high position years earlier, but after a scant few years in command she already had quite the reputation as a hardened battle commander. Now after over a century of leading she was practically legendary among the troops.

Iris Agate looked to Flint then eyed Pink and nodded once. "Very well." She pressed a single button on the table and the hologram of Earth lit up red in several places. "Here we have several pockets of the resistance moving in on facts two and six, we believe the structures there may be in danger of capture or scuttling. Thus, we have sent the necessary measures and reinforcements to those positions."

"How about the galaxy warp?" Pink asked.

The other agate, of the thunder egg variety, shook her head. "The site's been impossible to secure. Every time we manage to drive off the forces and begin reconstruction, the rebels immediately hit someone where else and force us to spread our forces from the site to defend it. Then almost as quickly they route the remaining forces and break the warp pads all over again. We've considered leaving a permutant guard there, but data suggests that such an action would leave many other sites vulnerable with no flexibility of troop movement."

These agates hadn't actually been popped by Pink. When the rebellion began, Yellow had sent them to serve under her. And they were good, _very_ good. Had the rebellion not been backed by Pink herself it likely would have been wiped out within a scant few decades, possibly with years. But, as it was, the rebels managed to stay a single step ahead of both of them, at least for now.

"I see." Pink then turned to Amethyst. "Soldier! What is the readiness of the troops?" she asked.

The purple gem snapped to attention. "My Diamond! The quartz soldiers are ready to move with purpose and for the glory of the Diamonds!"

Making the Amethyst into one of her commanding gems had also been somewhat controversial on Pink's part. But Yellow allowed it on the grounds that she would have a keener understanding of troops then built-to-command gems like the agates. She also became an aspiration for her peers to become better, a living example of what could happen if one did well in the eyes of the Diamonds.

"I see. Send troops where necessary, and squads X3A through X3D to facet three, our forces are looking a bit thin there as well."

"As you wish, my Diamond." The two agates responded simultaneously.

Pink nodded and turned to leave when one of them spoke up. "Pardon me, my Diamond."

Pink turned back to her. "What is it?"

"The reinforcements that Yellow Diamond promised have arrived. And they came with something special." Thunder Egg said before pulling out what looked like a hand mirror.

"What is _that_?" Pink asked, her voice coming out hollowed and harsh sending a chill down the four gems backs at the sudden tone change.

But the agate remained cool as Iris spoke up. "It's a mirror, my Diamond." Thunder Egg turned it around and revealed what looked like a malleable inlet where a gem of any shape and relative size could fit. "You place a gem here that's lost their physical form and they must then answer and questions posed to it."

"You want to use this for interrogation then, of the gems we've managed to capture." Pink concluded.

"That is what it's for, yes."

"Excuse me." With that Pink left the room and the agates turned to each other in confusion while Flint looked concernedly towards the door.

Pink quickly made her way back to her console and opened a line to her sister. After a few moments, Yellow's face appeared before her, looking unamused, an expression currently mirrored by Pink. "What have you done?"

Yellow raised a single brow at that. "To what are you referring?"

"You're copying White Diamond's mirror?"

Yellow's face barely changed, her eyes only minutely narrowing. "I have."

"Why?"

"It occurred to me that we need more information on these rebels, and but interrogation thus far has been unsuccessful, so we needed a new tool, a new technique, hence the mirror." She explained.

"How will this help anything?" Pink asked.

"I've altered White's original designs. The mirror functions in such a way that it compels the one inside it to answer questions posed to it. If they do not, they feel immense pain, but can never lose their physical form, being already a gem." Her older sister went on.

Pink now looked disgusted. "That's horrible."

" _That's_ the point." Yellow countered. "You've been going too easy on these rebels, we need a way to end this war quickly."

"But Yellow this is-"

"Enough, Pink." Yellow said cutting her off. "Use the mirrors and end this war, Yellow Diamond out."

Yellow Diamond sat upon her throne, tapping its side with a single finger in thought. She then accessed the communication's line again and sent a call out. Within moments Blue Diamond picked up, looking somewhat surprised at the call but none the less happy for it.

"Yellow, I wasn't expecting your call. What is it?" she asked politely.

"It's our youngest sister-" Yellow began.

"Oh! Nothing's happened to her, has it?" Blue asked concerned.

"No, she's fine. But the rebellion on her colony still rages on with no end in sight." Yellow explained. "And when I send her troops or tools to aid her, she only seems to complain."

"Well she always was a bit… different." Blue said, putting it as best as she could.

"She's soft Blue, always has been. She doesn't like fighting, or commanding or… anything that a Diamond should!" Yellow vented. "And worst of all, I think she may sympathize with these rebels."

"No! She'd never act against us!" Blue defended vehemently.

"It's difficult to say Blue, the gems she engineered, these 'Rose Quartzes', the best of them turned on her. And yet, she almost never talks about them in such a way that she's betrayed or even angry at them." Yellow said. "Somewhere in her, I think Pink may not want to fight them at all."

"Should we step in then? Force her to leave?" Blue asked.

"No, I don't think it's reached that point, not yet." Yellow replied. "But it did give me an idea. Perhaps it is time to give this place up as a colony world."

Blue's face became quizzical. "What do you mean?"

Yellow smiled a knowing smile. "Do you still have those plans concerning the gem shards?"

Blue seemed apprehensive in answering. "I do. But I've sealed them away."

"Unseal them. I think it's time we put them to use." Yellow said as she brought up her own old sealed files on the weapon she'd developed so long ago.

* * *

 **Finished. Anyways let's see what questions I get to answer… huh. I thought there'd be more, are you really not all that interested? Is my story really so obvious and boring?**

 **Well, for the one actual question that was asked.**

 **\- Guest - I can't really say about if she will heal or not, but Yellow Diamond does keep White updated from time to time, but is not necessarily telling her everything.**


	25. Ch 25: Apart

**Chapter 25, goin' live.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 25: Apart

 _Three hundred fifty years later…_

* * *

Peridot was finishing up the day.

No, that wasn't quite right.

"Day" would imply that a sun was setting on the planet. But that wasn't right.

She wasn't on a planet, she was on a space station, one of her own design.

The door behind her opened and the form of Amethyst appeared before her. "Peridot, how goes it?"

The green gem shrugged. "Fine, honestly I was just trying to keep myself busy, but…" she looked to the console almost wistfully "…they don't really need me anymore."

Amethyst glowed for a moment before Onyx retained her true form and then walked closer. "Who, the humans?"

"Yeeeeep." Peridot said letting the word stretch out as she slouched in her seat. "What they're gonna do tomorrow is the same thing they've done today. It's the same thing they've always done and always will do, forever."

"So, what's the problem? It seems like things are pretty great if they don't need you to help them along." Onyx replied.

Peridot turned her head towards her, frowning. "That's the problem, they don't need me to help them anymore. Everything that they need is already taken care of before they can even think about it."

Onyx turned the chair fully around so the slouching gem was facing her. "Alright Peri, what's really bothering you?"

The green gem sighed. "When Pink Diamond asked me to work with you to research the humans, I was fine with it. I held no particular interest for them myself, but I was open enough to the idea. Then she asked me to design a space station that could simulate the environment of Earth, and here we are now standing in it." She said motioning to all around her. "But after these humans have been here so long, I think they lost something. They lost 'change'."

"Ah, you mean how when they were on Earth they had to adapt and grow in order to survive." Onyx said.

"Exactly. Here though? There's virtually no danger and I think we accidently changed them to the point where they no longer _can_ change." Peridot said.

"By removing all adversity from their life, we've made them stagnant." Onyx finished.

"And it's not like we can just release them back into the wilds of Earth either." Peridot continued. "First, off, there's the rebellion. Second, even if there wasn't, the environment they've grown up in is nothing like on Earth. I mean, it _is_ , that's how we designed it, but-"

"-but the inherent dangers, the ones we've removed so that they can prosper here, they would kill them in a matter of days." Onyx said.

Peridot pulled up a chart, a list of numbers upon it. "Actually, by my calculations, they would all most likely be dead within _hours_."

Onyx crossed her arms, leaning against the wall now. She looked to the ceiling. "So, what do you think of them? The humans?"

Peridot dismissed the chart and cupped her chin in thought. "Honestly? There are times when I think all of this was a waste of time and resources. These organics are smarter than the average ones, it's true, but nowhere near our level of intellect. Still…" the green gem uncapped her chin and got distant look in her eyes. "there's something about them, they have such potential to be more, and when presented with a challenge they try over and over again until they overcome it, and become stronger for it."

"It almost makes you wonder, doesn't it?" Onyx asked aloud, but more to herself than Peridot. "If Pink Diamond had some ulterior motive for wanting the humans alive."

Peridot thought on this. "It's true, she was always kind to all forms of life, gem and otherwise, but you have a point. With all this effort, with the way she always spoke about them, it was like she wanted to _use_ them somehow, but for what?"

Onyx shrugged. "She always talked about us learning from them, to adapt to situations like they do and change. But, doesn't it seem a bit odd? I mean we've gotten more than enough evidence that it can work, so why does it feel like-"

"-like we're not being told something?" Peridot asked.

A silence fell between them, lasting a few moments before the green gem spoke up. "Did… did Spinel ever do anything like this?"

The name of her long-gone friend sparked several emotions at once inside the shapeshifting gem. There was a flash of happiness, followed by pangs of sorrow and regret. But if there was one thing Onyx was capable at, it was hiding her true colors, and thus her face was cool and passive, answering the question as easy as any others. "Spinel? Nah. She was upfront with us about, most everything really." Onyx gave a thoughtful look. "Do you really think Pink's holding out on us about something?"

"I think she may." Peridot said, I mean she's sworn me to secrecy about… things.

Onyx raised a brow at this. "Really, now? Me too."

Peridot mirrored her look. "Huh?! Really?!" The green gem asked, now getting excited.

"Yep." Peridot still looked interested and Onyx went on. "Want to know what it was?"

"Yeah I do!" Peridot's excited look suddenly dropped, looking as though she just remembered something. "But, not without Pink giving you permission first."

Onyx raised a single brow. "Really? I could just-"

Onyx was stopped as Peridot raised her hand and shook her head. "No. Don't. If she trusted you with something and told you not to tell anyone, I respect her too much to have you break that trust in front of me." She said solemnly, closing her eyes and crossing her arms.

Onyx grew a wide grin, moving from the wall and reaching over, mussing up Peridot's hair. "Hey!" she said in protest.

"You're such a cute little thing sometimes. Well, that settles it. We gotta go see Pink." Onyx reached over and grabbed Peridot's arm. "C'mon, let's go to the warp pad."

"Hey! But I can't just-!"

"You already said it's automated, so let's get going!"

* * *

 _Later, Back at the moon base…_

* * *

Pink had just gotten though her daily files when from behind her she heard footsteps. She turned around partially and to her surprise she saw Peridot and Onyx, in Amethyst form, approaching her. "Peridot? Onyx? What are you two doing here?"

They both looked at each other and nodded once before turning back, Onyx speaking up first. "Pink, we've decided that we're done keeping secrets."

Pink's face got serious as she turned around to fully face them. "What do you mean by that?"

"Peridot and I, we don't want to keep secrets for you from each other anymore." Onyx went on, taking a step closer. "We're all in this together right? So why are you making us keep secrets from each other?"

Pink turned her gaze to Peridot. "Do you also feel this way?"

Peridot said nothing, only nodding in agreement.

Pink then turned down to Pearl who had been respectfully silent the whole time, now staring intently at her Diamond. "They're right, you know. It is long past time you tell them everything."

Pink sighed. "Very well, I suppose we should have the whole group then." She turned back to her console and entered a few commands. Within seconds Flint's voice came over the communications line.

"Boss, what is it?" She asked.

"Flint, postpone your return to Earth and meet me in my chambers, I need to discuss something with you." Pink said.

"On my way." Flint replied, hanging up.

Pink Diamond then turned back to them and got from her seat. "Let's go."

Flint knocked on Pink's door, wondering what she wanted with her. It opened and she stepped inside, seeing not only Pink but the rest of her friends too, and Onyx. "Oh! Uh… what's everyone doing here? Did something happen?"

Pink smiled warmly. "No Flint, but something is about to." Pink Diamond then turned to Pearl. "Pearl, take us _there_."

Pearl gave a surprised look, but quickly recovered with an "As you wish." The other gems watched as Pearl summoned her weapon and take a strange stance. She then faced the far wall and her gem glowed as she made circles in the air with her sword beginning to spin it faster and faster. A hole then ripped itself through the wall, to the great surprise of Flint, Onyx, and Peridot. It swirled with energy and led into darkness.

Flint looked to the Diamond. "How did-"

"Look it's not important, just get in here." Pink ordered, crouching down and being sucked through the hole. The three exchanged looks before one by one they all piled in, Pearl brining up the rear and the hole closed behind them.

* * *

Through time and space, they fell, it was like being on a warp pad, but different. Instead of quickly flowing to their destination like they were in a river across space and time it was more like they were being scooched along a bit at a time, suddenly jerking forward and speeding up as they almost came to a stop.

The other end spat out the three and they slid on their faces to a stop. The three looked up to see Pearl and Pink's shared bemused expressions. "Yeah, sorry about that. You got to watch yourself on the landing." Pearl said offering her hands to Onyx and Peridot, who took it graciously. Flint just picked herself off and dusted herself off before taking a good look around her.

"Where are we?" Peridot asked, looking around the pink landscape.

"A haven of sorts." Pearl answered. "You'll understand better soon."

"Come." Pink said, leading them through the strange new land they found themselves in.

After a time of walking, pink clouds began to clear and before them a long table was set. It was finely decorated, it seemed to have been summoned from the very ground they were now walking upon. Chairs of all sizes lined the table. Pearl sat down first and after a moment's hesitation the others did the same with their seats All except for Pink Diamond who sat down cross-legged at one of the far ends.

Flint spoke up. "Okay, you've brought us all here. Now what is it that we have to talk about?"

Pearl spoke up. "Patience, Flint. We're still waiting on our last member."

Peridot looked up and down the table. "What are you talking about? We're all-"

In the distance, though it was impossible to tell how far, the sound of a metallic door opening and closing sounded. The three newcomers turned towards its sound, now noticing a silhouette through the low-lying clouds. As the figure got closer her features could be seen more clearly and shared looks of shock and anger were on all three of the gems faces as the beheld Rose Quartz.

Rose sat at the far end of the table as Flint stood up and summoned her weapon. "Well now, how long has it been? Five hundred years? Longer?" she asked calmly, ignoring the looks directed at her.

"ROSE! YOU'RE MINE!" Flint shouted before jumping into the air and bringing down her blade upon where Rose just was, missing by a hair's breadth as Rose effortlessly dodged with a jump back. Flint's blade embedded itself in the table, but before Flint could move to free it a giant pink hand engulfed her and Flint turned to see her Diamond stopping her from destroying the enemy. "BOSS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ROSE IS-!"

"Flint, stop it." Pink ordered. The volume was relatively soft but the tone was the unmistakable sound of an order and Flint relaxed as Pink released her. Flint's sword faded into light as she landed upon the table and gave one last glare to Rose, who had returned to her seat as the grey quartz moved to her own.

"So, this may seem a little strange, to some of you." Pink started off.

Peridot spoke up, her face beginning to relax but still showing a look of worry. "Strange is one thing my Diamond. But we're now stilling here in some sort of pocket dimension with your worst enemy, possibly the worst enemy in all the empire's history, and you just want us to, what, act calmly about all this? What is _space_ is going on?!"

"Well, to put it simply, Peridot, I'm not her enemy or any of yours for that matter." Rose said eyeing Flint, who still glared at her. "The whole rebellion happening right now? It was her idea, her plan. I'm just carrying it out." She said, pointing down the table to Pink.

If Peridot, Flint, and Onyx had looked confused before, that was nothing compared to the look on their faces now. The three of them turned to face her, expecting some sort of response. Pink looked them each in the eye briefly before a single phrase escaped her lips. "Yes, that is correct."

Peridot and Flint were speechless but Onyx pinched them bridge of her nose. "This… I don't even know where to begin."

Rose chuckled, looking to her. "As if you're one to start lecturing people on falsehoods, 'Amethyst', or is it 'Onyx'?"

Onyx looked to her, genuinely shocked. "Oh yes, I know who you are." She said. "I must thank you too, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't get nearly have as many new members as I've had."

Onyx returned to her true form and looked to Pink incredulously. "So that's why you-"

"Hold up. HOLD UP!" Flint shouted. "I have NO idea what's going on. So, could someone _please_ explain everything before I start to think I've gone insane?!" she shouted.

Pearl addressed the table. "To put it simply, Pink Diamond started the rebellion. She's been orchestrating it for hundreds of years in an attempt to save the life on it. She's also made each of you keep secrets from one another so that if this was ever found out, the implications of each of your involvements would be much lessened."

"And all this is just coming out now? Full disclosure?" Peridot asked.

"As it stands, Yellow Diamond is putting an increasingly amount of scrutiny upon me and the planet. It may be soon that she finds out about all of this, if she hasn't already." Pink explained. "I've gone back and forth on whether or not tell you all this for decades now. But I never did before, because I didn't want to put you in more danger than I already have. But it's selfish of me to keep information like this from you on the principle that it _might_ spare you. You've all been with me for so long, and you have all long since eared the right to truth, something I've been too scared and too stupid to grant you."

Pink looked down the table towards Rose. "Rose has been my agent ever since her creation, and in a way, even before then. Everything she has done and is doing are on my orders and for the sake of the planet."

Pink then turned her gaze towards Onyx. "I've had Onyx here gather psych data on members of our own forces so that I may better pair off gems who sympathize with the rebellion together and allow a steady stream of new rebels to be possible. As Rose said, without her the rebellion would be a fraction of what it is."

The Diamond turned her gaze upon Pearl. "Pearl here has made much of this rebellion possible, by providing this room you see around us and allowing communication with Rose. She is also one of the only gems I've told nearly everything to."

Her gaze shifted over to Peridot. "Peridot here has done so much for me as you all are already aware of. She created the research stations for the humans, the zoo we made far out in space, even the designs of the rose quartzes, it was all her. But there's something she did for me, that I can never fully thank her for." Pink said standing up and reaching behind her back.

Peridot's eyes widened with realization and she suddenly stood up. "Pink! Wait, you mustn't!"

Pink shook her head still reaching behind her back. "No, they need to see this." With that there was an audible click behind her back and everyone but Peridot, including Rose and Pearl, gave even more confused looks. Pink began to return her arms to the front, but in her hands she gripped something nearly invisible. It was translucent and thin, but in the right light it could be seen, a belt of some sort, and it peeled off of Pink's waist slowly before the two translucent ends met in the middle, on Pink's gem and with a single tug a suctioned cup pop was heard and the gem fell off.

Well, no, the gem didn't fall off, because it wasn't a gem. It was a thin covering of some sort that was identical to size shape and color of Pink's own gem, but when it popped off it revealed something no one had expected to see. Pink's gem, a Diamond's gem, had a sizeable hole in its center and cracks from the middle were spread out upon it.

Pink suddenly fell to one knee and began a coughing fit as her physical form began to shutter and phase violently. Everyone got from the seats as they saw this but Peridot quickly rushed forward and held Pink replace the covering over the gem. As it slipped back into place, her physical form stabilized and Pink stood to her feet, tying back the straps once more.

"Was that a _hole_ in your gem?" Pearl asked, covering her mouth aghast in shock.

Pink smiled weakly to her. "I told you I didn't quite tell you everything, didn't I?"

"When I made the first kindergarten here on Earth, I used bits of Amethyst's original gem shards and mixed them into the gel, so that when they were made they would have more of her characteristics. And when I made the Rose Quartzes, I couldn't make it so they would be up to specifications, so I needed a catalyst to facilitate the change." Peridot explained.

"So, I gave her what she needed, a shard of myself. And thus, the rose quartzes were made." Pink said motioning to Rose.

Onyx looked to Rose. "So she's literally a part of you?"

Pink nodded once. "Yes, they all are to some extent. But the Rose Quartz standing before you was the only true success out of the hundreds that were made from that single shard of my gem." She then pated her "gem". "This belt keeps it from shattering apart any further and allows my physical form to stabilize, which is why I owe such a great debt to you." She said looking to Peridot.

Peridot sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Oh, it was nothing really."

The gems all sat down, processing what had just been said, about everything. There is one last thing I want to share with you all, the hidden reason I want the humans spared.

"'Hidden reason'?" Rose asked. "I thought you wanted to make sure life on Earth could survive."

Pink smiled bitterly to her. "I'd like to say my intentions were only so noble, but I do need them for a reason. You all are aware of corruption, and its effects, are you not?" a silence fell over the room and Pink went on. "The reasons I need the humans, are the fact that I believe them to be the key to curing corruption."

Another silence.

"Is… is that possible?" Peridot asked. "How? Have you been trying to solve this all on your own?"

Pink chuckled. "You didn't think I was just dealing with red tape all day on that console, did you?" Her face grew grave. "No, with the data you've given me I've come close to figuring out a way to combine the primordial gel, my own healing powers, and the natural healing properties of organic matter, in this case humans."

"Wait, are you saying that the cure will come from some sort of fusion between organics and gems?" Rose asked.

Pink nodded. "Yes, a permanent fusion though. Otherwise the stability of the cure will be unraveled and rendered useless."

"How close to a cure are we talking?" Onyx asked.

"About as close as I can get. But the difference between gem and organic matter is nearly impossible to overcome." Pink admitted.

"How are you going to do it?" Flint asked.

The Diamond frowned. "That is the stumbling block, unfortunately. I have no idea, I need some sort of catalyst for it, but to work for both organics and gems... I don't think it even exists."

"Can we help?" Peridot piped up.

"You've been a great asset to me when it came to these type of thing Peridot, but I'm afraid even you can't help me here." Pink replied. "No, I shall continue to work on it alone. But rest assured if I need your help, I won't hesitate to call."

Peridot seemed satisfied by that, but Flint stood from her chair again. "So, is that it? Is that everything?"

Pink nodded once. "Good." Flint turned to look at Pearl. "Take me home then." She said walking around the table towards her.

"Already? You don't have any other questions?" Onyx asked.

"No, I've heard more than enough for one day." She replied.

"Well, at least everyone's knows everything now." Peridot said getting from her seat to leave as Onyx did the same.

Rose waved a hand. "It was nice seeing you all again."

Pink turned to leave with the others. "I'll have some more data for you on my next visit."

Rose nodded as Pink tore open another hole and they all tumbled in.

* * *

The five of them found themselves back in Pink's private chamber, everyone remembering to land on their feet this time. "I hope you all feel better, you know everything now."

"About that…" Flint said turning to her friends. "Do you guys mind if I have a word with Pink Diamond alone?"

Pearl, Peridot and Onyx looked to each other and then to Pink who nodded. Onyx transformed back into her disguise and left with the other two through the door, leaving Pink and Flint alone.

Flint was silent for a moment, looking at the floor before she brought her gaze up to meet Pink's. "Did you really not trust any of us, after all this time?" she asked simply.

Pink frowned. "Flint it wasn't that simple. I didn't want-"

"Yeah, yeah I heard. Trying to keep us safe and all that." Flint said, cutting her off dismissively. "Not that it would do us much good, not knowing anything, right?"

Pink could hear tell by her tone, Flint was angry. Which was rare, she usually kept her cool, especially when talking to Pink. Which meant that Pink had really messed up, something becoming more and more apparent to her. "I mean, did you think we couldn't handle another secret? I mean we're already keeping what really happened twenty-thousand years ago a secret. What would one more be?"

"Why are you making this personal? I kept secrets from all of you, so why are you making it sound like I betrayed you specifically?" Pink argued.

"You should have never kept secrets from _any_ of us! Yet here we are! Having to drag out things, again!"

"I came clean! I told you everything!"

"After how long of hiding it from us?! And making us lie to each other as well?! Are you serious?!"

"I was trying to protect you!"

"Well it didn't work!"

The doors suddenly flew open and the three stood there, all giving uneasy looks. Pearl stepped forward. "Flint, please, try to be reasonable." She pleaded.

Flint pointed a single finger at her. "I don't want to hear it from you, Pearl! She told you almost everything!" she switched her finger over to Peridot and Onyx. "And you two she told at least _some_ of her secrets to, but what about me? Was I entrusted with anything of value? No!"

Peridot stepped up. "Is that what's got you so upset? That she didn't give you a _specific_ secret to keep?"

"STARS NO! THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" The quartz said practically exploding, falling to her knees and hanging her head. There was a silence and her voice suddenly became calm. "We're her friends, and even after all this time she refuses to trust us. And if that's how it's gonna be, then fine." She slowly got to her feet and looked Pink square in the eye. "I'm done."

Pink gave a confused look. "'Done'? What do you mean you're 'done'?"

"I'm not doing this anymore, Pink. I'd trust you with anything, and I've trusted you with everything, but you've proved unwilling to do the same. And as much as I like you, I can't let that go." She then turned to leave. "Send me off to Homeworld or some backwater colony, I don't care. But I'm done." With that she walked off as the three made a hole for her to move past.

The three turned to look at the Diamond, who just stood, mouth open, and speechless.

* * *

 _Hours later…_

* * *

Flint was getting ready to load the last of her gear onto her ship. She managed to find an outpost that had a position open for a new commanding gem and Pink had approved the transfer as soon as Flint had asked, saying barely more than a handful of words to each other.

As she picked up the gear, she saw Onyx standing near the ramp and approach. "You're really leaving just like that?"

"You know it's not that simple." Flint said.

"Sure sure, go off into space, cool your head, take some time for yourself." Onyx nodded.

"She hurt me Onyx, she hurt _all_ of us. And this isn't the first time either." Flint replied dryly.

"You know she means well." Onyx countered causing Flint to pause.

"Doesn't it bother you that she lies to us so often?" Flint asked.

Onyx shrugged. "What can I say? Deception comes a bit easy for me, as does accepting the reason of deception for other gems. Peridot feels the same way, but you know, with her logic."

Flint shook her head. "Well, it's not that easy for me, and I'm tired of dealing with it." With that she walked onto her small ship and Onyx followed along, walking aboard as Flint set down the gear.

"Well for what it's worth, we're all going to miss you." Onyx said.

Flint chuckled. "What? Even you?"

Onyx gave a small smirk. "Yeah, even me you big lunk."

Flint turned to look at her, she considered her next action for a moment. Shrugged. Then leaned down and gave Onyx a firm kiss on the lips.

Onyx was caught so off guard that she returned to her true form as Flint boke the embrace. "Something to remember me by."

Onyx's eye fluttered and she regained her composure. "You're such a-"

But her next word was cut off as the engines blasted and Flint yelled over them/ "What was that?! Couldn't catch that!"

Onyx jumped off the boarding ramp and rolled on the ground as the craft left, blasting into space. Onyx shook her head as she donned her disguise once more, chuckling. "I'm really gonna miss that idiot."

* * *

Pink sat silent in her room, only Pearl remained now, doing her best to console. "Pink, it's not your fault, you just wanted to protect them."

"By giving them _less_ information? What logical sense does that make Pearl? I thought I was being clever and now I've driven away one of my oldest friends." Pink said weakly shaking her head.

"Just give Flint some time, Pink. She'll be back, you'll see." Pearl assured.

"I wouldn't blame her if she never came back. And I'll be lucky if she doesn't say anything to Yellow or Blue." Pink went on.

"She would never betray your trust like that!" Pearl said, the thought of such an action being nearly inconceivable to her.

"And why not? I've betrayed hers." Pink reminded then shook her head again. "I know you're trying your best Pearl, but please, I need some time to think."

Pearl simply bowed. "Of course, I'll be outside if you need me."

Pink sat in the chair, head lowered and hunched over. She claimed she fought for freedom of gems, yet still ordered around so many. She claimed she fought for life, but her actions had cost the empire more gems than any other period in their entire history. She claimed she trusted her friends, but still kept things from them. She had wanted her sisters to stop doing things behind her back but was now a part of perhaps one of the grandest deceptions in the cosmos.

Was that all she was? A hypocrite? One claiming to know the will of the gem masses but never really being a part of them? Pink closed her eyes. Even during the twenty thousand years she'd spent touring every last colony, she still didn't know what the common gem was like, not really. And she would probably never know, she was a Diamond, one who could tell what they were feeling but not really feel what they were feeling.

And how she wanted to know, yes. Maybe then she would have done better and Flit wouldn't have left her.

" _Why can't I just know, what it's really like? Why can't I understand?!"_ she thought to herself, tightening her eyes.

Suddenly she fluttered her eyes open and looked around.

Something seemed… different.

For one thing, she was suddenly standing outside her room, not sitting within it. Secondly all the proportions of the room seemed off to her. The ceiling was now way taller than it used to be. The edges of the wall were father out too.

"What the-" Pink suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth. She knew whose voice that was and it was _not_ hers. She then gasped as she looked to the hand that was not hers as well as the chest and legs. She then ran up the stairs, also not right with proportion and looked upon the chair. It was now massive compared to her.

Pink then ran over to a window and could see a reflection looking back at her through it. She was looking at the body of Pearl.

"What in the cosmos happened to me?!"

* * *

 **DONE. No questions, I guess you're not that interested.**

 **By the way could you imagine Pink Diamond and Yellow Diamond singing that song form Prince of Egypt, the one with the Ten Plagues?**


	26. Ch 26: Beta

**Chapter 26, rolling on down the line.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 26: Beta

This isn't happening, this _isn't_ happening!

The thought ran through her mind over and over again, as if the mantra would somehow snap her out of it. She didn't know what was going on, but whatever this was it _wasn't_ happening.

It couldn't be.

She looked to the reflection again and touched her face, Pearl's reflection copying her every movement.

But it was.

Okay. Okay. Calm down. She thought to herself looking away and beginning to pace. What could have caused this to happen? And what about her _real_ body?

She quickly made her way down the stairs, though not too quickly. She was, after all, still adjusting to their new proportions for her. When she reached her personal chambers, she tried to access it, only to be denied.

Pink slapped her… er… Pearl's forehead. Of course. That's right. She'd sealed the room because she wanted to be alone.

She then had another idea. Pink stood up and took a stance, attempting to summon Pearl's blade the way she'd seen her do it thousands of times. It took a few tries, but her gem finally glowed and the sword came through… and she dropped it.

Pink picked it up and then wedged the blade between the seams keeping the door shut. She bent and pushed, wriggling it around trying to get more of it in, but she couldn't quite see if it was managing to make any headway or if she was just using a sword in perhaps the most idiotic way ever devised.

"Pearl?"

Pink turned to look and saw Peridot, a perplexed look upon her features.

"Are you trying to pry open the door with your sword?"

Pink let go of the blade and it flung out of its crevice and down the tower, disappearing back into light as Pink came up to Peridot and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Peridot! Thank the stars! You got to help me!"

Peridot gave a deeply confused look. "I uh… don't think Pink would appreciate me helping you break in, Pearl."

"Pea-?" Pink nearly said before looking quickly down at herself and up again. "No! No, no, no, no, no! I'm _not_ Pearl, Peridot! I'm Pink Diamond!"

If there had been any hope for Peridot to figure out what Pearl was trying to say, it was completely gone now. Leaving her with only one response. "What."

"I said I'm-" She began until Peridot shrugged her hands off and covered her mouth.

"Yeah, I heard you. I meant 'what' as in 'I cannot and will not believe what you just said'." Peridot replied.

Pink pulled the hand down. "But it's true! I'm Pink-" The hand raised again and Pink's features contorted with annoyance. She pulled the hand away again. "Stop it!"

"You're the one who needs to stop it!" Peridot shot back. "You're Pearl! P-E-A-R-L! Pearl! Not Pink Diamond!"

"What in space is going on?"

The two turned to see Onyx looking at them. "If you two were any louder you'd be drawing the attention of everyone in the spire."

Which would not be hard. Ever since the rebellion began the moon base had been operating with mostly a skeleton crew, every other gem was either fighting or guarding a base on Earth.

"Onyx! You have to listen to me!" Pink said drawing near to her. "I'm not Pearl, it's me Pink Diamond!"

Onyx raised a single brow and looked to Peridot with a "what kind of joke is this" look. Peridot just shrugged with a muddled look of her own. Then she looked down to Pearl again and… something was off. She looked directly into her eyes and saw something she'd never seen in Pearl before. "Look, this problem is easily solved." Onyx said, changing her shape until she was Pink Diamond and opened the door. "See? Pink Diamond is…" She stopped as she looked inside the room and the other two quickly joined her, closing the door behind them.

Pink Diamond laid slumped over in her seat, entirely unresponsive. "Pink Diamond…?"

"Yes?" asked Pearl.

Onyx glanced down to Pearl with a grimace but then walked over to Pink Diamond's form and pushed her up. Pink's eyes were closed, still entirely unresponsive.

"What's wrong with her?" Peridot asked.

"It looks like she's unconscious." Onyx observed. "Which is really weird, since I thought that was a thing only for organics."

"We can't really get a good look from here, lay her down." Peridot said. Onyx did just that, gingerly picking her up bridal style and laying the body down, face-up.

"Wow, is this really how you guys see me? I'm so huge compared to you." Pink observed as she looked upon her own body.

"Knock it off Pearl." Peridot chided.

"Actually Peri, I think she might be telling the truth." Onyx replied, reverting to her true form.

A look of relief fell upon the features of the pink gem at the acknowledgement. The green gem however looked at the shapeshifter like she'd grown a second head, which was probably not an out of the question sight, considering Onyx's abilities.

"You can't be serious Onyx." Peridot said, the pointing to Pearl. "I mean what makes you think she's Pink Diamond?"

"Well a couple of things." Onyx said, crossing her arms. "First off, I've never known Pearl to lie, not _ever_." Peridot looked taken back by that point and Onyx went on. "On top of that we now have her claiming that she's Pink Diamond, and the real Pink Diamond here is lain before us, somehow unconscious, a state no gem has ever been in. So, you'll forgive me if I'm willing to entertain a wild unheard-of possibility right now."

The green gem considered this and then took a few steps closer to Pearl. "Could it really be…?"

Pink just smiled as Peridot's eyes shot wide. She then closed the distance completely. "OhmystarsI'msosorry!" She blurted out, falling to her knees in front of Pink and grabbing her hand.

"Whoa whoa! Easy Peridot. It's alright." Pink said patting her head.

Peridot smiled and stood up, relieved. "But how did this happen?"

"I don't know, I was just feeling sad about… things and then I was in Pearl's body." She explained, rubbing the back of her head unsure of quite what to say. "The better question though is how do I get back?"

"I got this." Onyx replied before transforming back into Pink Diamond. She then straddled Pink Diamond and began smacking her left and right across the face.

"WHAT IN THE COSMOS ARE YOU DOING?!" Peridot screamed before suddenly feeling Pearl go limb and collapse on top of her.

Pink Diamond's eyes fluttered open and just as Onyx was going in for another blow, Pink caught the hand. "Thank you, Onyx, that's enough."

The shapeshifter gave a half smile. "Just when I was getting into it…" she said before reverting back.

Peridot looked to Onyx in shock, still looking from under Pearl's body. "How-?"

"Saw humans doing it to wake each other up, figured it was worth a shot." Onyx replied.

Pink sat up, holding her head with one hand as Pearl was regaining consciousness, rolling off of Peridot. "Wha… what?" she said, sitting up and looking around. "My Diamond, what am I doing in your room?" She looked off to the side where Onyx and Peridot were. "And how did you two get in here without me noticing?"

Peridot got up and walked over to Pearl, offering her hand. "It's a strange story, Pearl." She said as Pearl took her hand, a curious look on Pearl's face.

Pink stood and returned to her seat and the three stepped forward before her. "So Pearl, do you remember anything? Say from the last ten minutes or so?"

Pearl looked unsure, something that was very rare to see. "I… don't know. I remember standing outside and then… something felt like it was washing over me and then… nothing. I was here, somehow."

"Well brace yourself for this Pearl," Onyx said walking over and putting a single hand on her shoulder. "Pink Diamond took over your body." She said pointing up to her.

Pearl gave a look of shock and turned to Pink who smiled uneasily. "She's right Pearl, I'm sorry to say."

Pearl was silent for a few moments, processing the new information before looking back to her. "But how did you do it?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Honestly, it just sorta happened." Pink said rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

Onyx put a hand to her chin. "I think I may have a theory." She turned to Pink. "Do you remember when Spinel gave you her power?"

Pink nodded. It hadn't been apparent at first. The power manifested itself quite slowly in fact. But after thousands of years it had matured and grown to the point where Pink could sense the feeling and intentions of those around her and if she concentrated she could reach out to feel entire planets or star systems.

"What if the power changed somehow?" she proposed. "What if instead of just feeling what others feel you can, well, you can now literally see things from their point of view."

"Even if I were to entertain such a ridiculous explanation, what caused it?" Peridot asked.

"I was feeling pretty bad, about Flint…" she trailed off and the room fell into awkward silence, no one wanting to meet anyone else's eyes before Pink finished. "and I remember wanting to understand, so very badly."

"Understand? Understand what, my Diamond?" Pearl asked.

"You all." The three looked at her curiously and she continued. "I wanted to better understand normal gems. Because I'm a Diamond there's always been a disconnect between me and you and I wanted so much to close it, and then I found myself in your body." She said turning to look at Pearl.

"So, it was triggered by an emotional response, and a strong one at that." Peridot said thoughtfully. "I wonder if it's possible to recreate it?"

"Please don't make me sad _on purpose_." Pink said, eyeing Peridot wearily now.

"No no, I don't think it's even despair we need, not necessarily anyways." Peridot said waving a hand. "Just a strong enough emotional response of any kind should be enough. But then again maybe not."

"What do you mean?" Onyx asked.

"Well Pink's had strong emotional moments before, we've all seen this." Peridot said and the other two nodded. "So, what made this one special enough to cause this phenomenon?"

"Her desire to understand." Pearl said, the answer dawning on her.

"Right." She turned to look at Pink. "I think that your intense emotional state combined with your desire to 'understand' is what caused this." She then shrugged. "At least, it's the best I can come up with, given what we know."

"And that's not much." Pink said seeming rather disappointed in that fact.

"But think of the possibilities if we knew more." Onyx began. "To take over the bodies of other gems? It could be a valuable tool." She turned to look up at Pink. "Imagine if you could take control of anyone, perhaps even Yellow or Blue Diamond?"

Pink frowned at that. "I don't think I like the idea very much."

"I wouldn't dismiss it so easily, my Diamond." Peridot began again. "Given Yellow Diamond's current behavior concerning the rebellion and her refusal to retreat from the planet despite the enormous losses in time, gems, and material, it could be a possible way to end the war. If you took over your sister's body you could order every gem off the planet and that could be just the start."

The implications were not lost on Pink. She knew if she mastered this mysterious new power it could in fact be a great boon to her. The ability to make anyone do as you please no question asked? She knew it was certainly something her sister would have very much liked to use. And in it, she _did_ see a possibility to end the war, to finally make her sisters listen whether they liked it or not. She then looked down to Pearl. But at what cost?

"Perhaps but even if I did choose to control my sisters in such a way, I don't think it would work that well." Pink said pointedly.

"Why not?" Peridot asked.

"First off, the effects don't seem to be permanent." She said motioning to Pearl. "As soon as I left Pearl there she reverted completely back to her old self. You _are_ back to your old self, aren't you?" she asked.

Pearl nodded. "As far as I know." She said.

"Second, I would simply be me but in another body, meanwhile my real body would just be laying around doing nothing. And I think some gems would find that a bit odd to say the least." She continued. "Third, even if we ignore the first two points I'd somehow have to get close enough to Yellow and simulate the conditions for this 'body swap' power. And I think Yellow would immediately suspect something wrong if I just went back to Homeworld, barged into the throne room and collapsed into tears right in front of her."

"She has a point." Onyx admitted.

"Hmm… well regardless it bears more investigation." Peridot said. "Perhaps we can even try to make it so you can do it at will, or evolve it in some other way. It could be quite interesting."

"Well, I'm glad at least someone is enjoying this." Pink said exasperatedly.

"Well, you know me and Pearl, if you need us to help, just call." Onyx said shrugging to which Pearl nodded.

Pink smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

* * *

 _Fifty years later…_

* * *

The wind was beginning to pick up and the dust in the air. Peridot grimaced as she looked upon her creation.

"Hey Peridot!" Onyx said, in her Amethyst form. "What's the hold up? Are they coming out or what?"

Peridot said nothing, only continuing to frown deeply. Onyx waved a hand in front of her face, causing the green gem's frown to deepen more and more until she smacked the hand away, very irritated. "What?!"

"Whoa, what's with you?" she asked.

"Look at them all." Peridot said motioning to the pods in the rock.

"Am I supposed to be seeing something?"

"Yes!" Peridot shouted. 'They're terrible! Awful! Such shoddy workmanship. And what's worse is that the one who did it was me…"

"Didn't Pink ask you to do that though?" Onyx asked.

"Yes, I still hate it though. I mean to ask me to mess up my favored craft on purpose? It just hurts to even look at but doing it? Don't even get me started." Peridot said shaking her head.

"And yet you did it." Onyx said. "Because Yellow Diamond wanted us to try and start another kindergarten to support Homeworld, but Pink made sure no soldiers of significance could be added by asking you to sabotage your own creation." She patted Peridot's shoulder. "I know it must hurt, but it's all for the best."

Peridot sighed. "That's what I keep telling myself."

"And hey at least your first batch was a total success, right? They were great soldiers, all of them."

"Well, not total." Peridot said thinking back.

* * *

 _Meanwhile…_

* * *

The stone rumbled in the Alpha Kindergarten. The only sound for miles in fact as a purple arm and leg jutted out before the quartz finished pulling herself out and tripped, landing on her face. She was soon standing straight up and standing stiff. "Whew! Sorry about that, it took a little longer than I would have like but I'm finally…" she looked around, seeing nothing but darkness and mists of the long vacant kindergarten. "here?' She looked around, but saw nothing else, no one else. "Where is everyone?" she wondered. "Ah, well. I'm sure they'll come to get me, I mean how long could it take?"

* * *

"Regardless, I have a duty to fulfill, even to these gems who will be inevitably flawed." Peridot said stoically.

Onyx punched her lightly on the arm. "You trooper you. So, shall we?" Onyx said motioning down to where a few Amethysts had gathered to receive the new soldier and assign them.

"You go on ahead, this part is more of a quartz thing. My job's over." Peridot said turning and walking away.

Onyx shrugged and greeted the other Amethysts before their little group headed into the valley to await their new arrivals.

Within moments the walls shook as gems made their way out, but it was not at all like how it had happened in the first kindergarten. Many came out wrong, some coming out diagonally, sideways, even backwards somehow and none of them looked quite right. Some were too short or think. Some of their body proportions were _way_ off from what they should be.

The amethysts looked at each other, a little unsure, but none the less they began to spread out, forming what gems they could into groups.

Onyx looked at the newcomers. It had been just what Peridot had said, none of these were the way they should be, not in any regard. They were all defective and misshapen, it was kind of hard to look at really, knowing that this had been done to them on purpose. That they could have been properly formed gems but that chance was stolen away from them so Homeworld wouldn't have even a single chance at a half-way decent soldier.

Worse still was the possibility that like so many others, they may have been sympathetic to the rebellion, but now would be severely inadequate for any fight against Homeworld. Sure, they'd probably prevented Homeworld from getting any significant increase in soldiers, but at what cost?

Onyx walked alone, watching as the others were forming ranks now, but then she heard something… different. Like stone sliding on porcelain. She followed the sound and watched as a group of gems, both Amethyst commanders and the new gems watched as the wall they were looking at practically lit up and then with a single loud bang a gem fell from the hole and landed on one knee.

She looked up with a wild smile her amber eyes glowing with intensity. She had tangerine skin with reddish-orange markings on her face and arms. She had thick, beige-white-colored flowing hair. She had a muscular body and stood both taller and wider than the average quartz, a sure indication of her immense strength and durability. Her gemstone sat smackdab where a nose should have been.

"Oh… this can't be good."

* * *

Pink sat on a small transport, barely listening as the two agates were droning on once more. She had gotten quite used to be praised unnecessarily, but these two seemed to have taken a special pride in being on Pink's good side considering how much they kissed up. She briefly wondered if that had been a trait Yellow had instilled into them.

Still, she had learned how to drown out the gushing praise and glean actual information every once in a while. For instance, just recently they had mentioned that Yellow had spoken of some sort of end-all solution to the rebellion, which greatly concerned Pink. If she knew her sisters, which to her great disappointment she did, Yellow had probably revived that mind wiping project or the gem shard project.

Maybe both.

In any case, it was something she'd have to bring up the next time she saw Yellow. But for now, she was on the way to one of the arenas. She had had it built to train the solders of the Empire but also to closely inspect them for more possible recruits for Rose. Though, admittedly, Onyx was much better at that then she was.

The four gems soon arrived at the arena, departing their transport and entering the magnificent structure, Salutes lined the halls as their group made their way to the main viewing box. Pink was given the most luxurious chair in the center while smaller, but still ornately decorated chairs for the agates. Pearl stood nearby, waiting patiently for any orders directed to her.

The two agates seemed to sneer as they all looked down on the fighters below. Some were sparing with one another some were fighting with dummies, others still tried their hands at obstacle courses. "Look at them." Iris began. "These are supposed to be our reinforcements? Look at them all, I've never seen so many defects."

Thunder Egg nodded in agreement. "It's pathetic, who designed the Kindergarten? They should shattered for such a poor showing of gems."

"You would both do well to be silent." Pink said her voice grave. "The gem I assigned to this project was working with almost no time and had to find a location nearly impossible for the crystal gems to find. We're fortunate to have gems at _all_."

"Yes, of course my Diamond." Thunder Egg said quickly.

"Please pardon our comments." Iris followed up.

"It is alright, but think more on your words next time." She advised.

"Yes, my Diamond." They said in unison.

Pink's face remained straight, but inwardly she smiled. She didn't often admit it, even to herself, but there were times when throwing one's power around was kinda fun.

 _ **BANG CLA-CLANG**_

The four's attention was drawn over to the sparing section of the arena where they saw one fighter who stood out from the rest. The orange-hued gem was facing down several of her beta-sisters, and they stood no chance at all. She knocked them aside and away like she was swatting at insects,

"C'mon! That the best you can do!" She turned to look at two of the amethyst commanders. "Hey! You! Come over here! I'd like to get a little bit of a challenge!"

"Watch your tone, newbie. Or you might get exactly what you asked for." One of them responded narrowing her eyes.

The orange quartz smiled even wider. "What I asked for is a challenge, but hey, maybe you're the wrong gems to ask for something like that."

That was enough to get the two of them to draw their weapons. "Time to put you in your place, newbie." The other said, charging at her with a sword.

Despite the orange quartz being bigger than her, she was also much quicker. She dodged the blows of the amethyst and the second one started getting her blows in with a spear, but to no avail. The speared amethyst slashed with a spear, striking down, the orange gem side stepped and grabbed the spear's shaft, quickly shoving it back into the amethyst's stomach and knocking her away.

The sword amethyst saw an opening and was about to bring down her blade on her head, but the orange gem's head lit up, and a helmet appeared, blocking the blade's blow. The orange quartz grabbed her purple counterpart by the ankle and brought her down on friend and in a puff of smoke they were both gone, leaving behind two gems on the ground.

The orange quartz smirked for a moment before fiercely eyeing those around her, changeling any who were near. All the gems began to back away cautiously and the orange gem stood to her full height, an arrogant smile upon her face.

The two agates looked elated as they had watched the scene unfold. "She's amazing!" Iris exclaimed.

"She could be the Empire's greatest warrior. You were right all along, my Diamond! But of course, you were." Thunder Egg added.

Pearl eyed her Diamond carefully, with a look of concern. Pink's face had tried to remain flat and neutral but when looking close one could see the cracks in the mask, showing signs of perplexion. Finally, she stood from her seat and began to clap, slowly but respectfully.

The two agates quickly followed suit, getting from their chairs and clapping vigorously, Pearl joining them, though slower, closer to how Pink's was. Soon the entire area was aloud with the sound of clapping and the orange gem looked around, that same arrogant smirk on her features all the while. She then looked up to Pink and bowed her head low, saluting as she fell to one knee.

Pink suddenly jumped from the viewer's box and landed in the area gracefully, the two agates and Pearl following behind. Every gem aside from them suddenly saluted and fell to one knee. Pink strode her way past the gems and stood in front the orange quartz whose head was still bowed. The agates flanked her on either side and Pearl stood a bit behind Pink.

"Raise your head." Pink ordered. The orange gem complied, still kneeling and saluting. "You displayed great strength just now."

"Spectacular!" Iris added.

"Amazing!" Thunder Egg piled on.

"I can think of no higher honor than a compliment from you, my Diamond." The orange gem said respectfully.

"What is your name, quartz?" Pink asked.

"I'm cut 9JX, my Diamond. A Jasper." She answered.

"Well Jasper, know this. These gems are not your enemies, they are your comrades. You would do well not to treat them so harshly." Pink said.

Jasper nodded once, but spoke up. "If I may speak freely, my Diamond?"

Pink was curious. "Go ahead."

"Weak gems are not what is going to win us this war." Jasper started. "We must be strong, and train the strong and if the weak are crushed and shattered then it means they had no place in being solders in the first place."

Pink raised an eyebrow. Iris spoke up. "Are you questioning my methods?"

Jasper hesitated for a moment but then answered with a single word. "Yes."

Iris and Thunder Egg jumped on either side of Pink. "Now see here! She is a Diamond! You owe here more respect than that!" Thunder Egg started.

Iris joined in. "How dare you question a Diamond's orders?!"

"Should we not question policies that are flawed? Or the gems that make them?" Jasper asked calmly, and every gem seemed appalled at the question, all except Pink who kept a straight face. Even Pearl looked a bit surprised that anyone would speak this way to Pink.

Thunder Egg and Iris fumed. "The arrogance!" the latter said.

But Pink, to the great surprise of all smiled before bursting out into a chuckle which left every other gem in stunned silence.

"M-my Diamond!" Thunder Egg began. "You can't possibly find this situation amusing!"

"She's questioning your authority! Your policy!" Iris added.

Pink's laughter ceased, leaving only a smile, looking to her advisors. "I know, it's been a while since anyone has tried challenging me like this. It's a bit refreshing really." She then looked back to Jasper. "You've surprised me Jasper, and that's no small feat. I look forward to your future."

Jasper smiled her wide and toothy smile. "As do I, my Diamond."

* * *

 **DONE! Now let's see here… oh! More questions fantastic!**

 **\- JamesFlames – What you got to remember is that entire centuries are passing by here. It's not to say that she didn't hold a grudge for a good long while, but after years they've gotten to know each other and thus a relationship. And while I'd love to sit here writing for years on end about the centuries I'm glossing over I don't really feel like bogging myself down like that. Besides a friend of mine asked me to set them up, and since I didn't really see a problem with it, I green lighted it.**

 **\- Savannah9137- Don't really know what you're referring to here exactly, could you elaborate?**

 **-Tsukimine12- Can't really tell you if Flint is coming back or not without spoilers so… sorry about that. For the second question, In a way, she is and isn't, just like how Rose both is and isn't Pink Diamond, as well as all the other Rose Quartzes. Third question,yeah, I suppose so, in a way.**

 **More questions please, this is fun.**


	27. Ch 27: Acknowledgement

**Chapter 27, good news everyone! My story was found and the Crewniverse is going to make episodes based on my story!**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 27: Acknowledgement

If was only a matter of time…

Pink eyed the console's communicator function.

About ten seconds out now…

…

Four.

Three.

Two.

The communicator went off. "Right on time." Pink muttered to herself. She accessed it and the smug smile of her sister appeared before her which immediately caught Pink's attention. Yellow didn't smile unless something had _really_ pleased her. Given she often just called to lecture Pink about how to move troops and organize attacks and such, this was a surprise.

"Well hello, Pink." Yellow said, her voice mirroring the unusual upbeat attitude she currently seemed to be demonstrating. Frankly, it was putting Pink on edge.

"Yellow you seem… cheery." Pink said, choosing the word carefully.

"Ah yes, and why shouldn't I be?" She asked.

Pink shrugged. "The rebellion on Earth? How it's still going on perhaps?"

"Actually, the reason I'm so happy has to do with that," Pink eyed her carefully and Yellow went on. "We've been developing something… special you see."

"Like those mirrors from before?" Pink asked. She hadn't actually been around them much herself, much less use them, but she heard stories. None of them good.

"Something like that. I want you to come and see. It's here on Homeworld." Yellow said.

Pink gave her sister a quizzical look. "You want me to leave my post here and come to Homeworld? Shouldn't I stay here so I can lead?" Pink asked.

"It's not like you've been making much of a difference lately, I doubt things will radically alter while you're away for a small time." Yellow replied.

Pink might have been offended at the obvious jab had the situation not been exactly how she intended it, so instead she simply nodded her head. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Good. Yellow Diamond, Out." She finished as the transmission cut out.

"What do you think it is?" Pearl asked from the side.

Pink looked down to her and frowned. "I don't know. But I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

Pink Diamond landed on Homeworld to the sight of kneeling gems. She saw Blue Diamond standing at the far end of the platform, her own pearl in tow. Her face spoke of a mix of happiness and anxiety. "Blue? What are you doing here?"

Her sister seemed apprehensive to speak, something _very_ out of character for the Diamond. The bad feeling Pink had been having was growing as she neared. "Pink… it's good to see you." Blue replied. "Yellow asked me to meet you here so that we could go together."

Pink frowned. "This is going to be something I'm not going to like, isn't it?"

Blue mirrored her frown for a moment before managing to force a small, strained, smile and extending her hand. "Come, she's waiting for us." Pink took the hand and Blue lead her into her palanquin, making room for the both of them and their respective pearls before they flew off.

The ride wasn't long, but Pink could feel unease well up within her, and while she knew she was nervous, she didn't think it would be this bad. It was almost like-

"We're here." Blue said interrupting Pink's thoughts.

The four exited the palanquin and the youngest Diamond looked up at her elder sister's spire. It was a dull yellow, imposing and militaristic, just like it's owner. It had far fewer any of the aesthetic features of any of the other diamond towers. Pink never liked being here very much, but now she felt a sense of dread as she neared it. And the anxiety seemed to be spiking the closer she got.

Pink turned to her sister, wanting some sort of reassurance from her, but Blue had already begun walking toward the main entrance of the structure. Pink trotted to catch up and managed to do so just as they walked through to the main hall, silent salutes greeting them as they passed. It had been a long time since Pink had been in Yellow's spire, but as she looked around nothing had changed, something that struck her as completely unsurprising. The spire and its inhabitants were rigid, calculating, machines in one form or another, something that made Pink feel as though the whole place was watching her, the one thing disturbing the millennia spanning clockwork.

The four stepped upon the main elevator and began to descend into the depths of the tower. Pink felt the unease again, and now it was stronger, _much_ stronger. She turned to look at her sister again but Blue seemed to be avoiding her gaze looking off to the side. Pink, however, did catch something as her sister looked around, she seemed to have the same anxiety that Pink had been feeling and something else… shame?

"Pink…" Blue started, catching her sister off guard at the sudden animation. "There's something…" she began and stopped, searching for the right words and refusing to make any sort of eye contact. "There's something that you should know."

The dread had now encompassed Pink's entire being and the combination of being sent into the dark underground of Homeworld and her sister's sudden words weren't exactly helping.

"Yellow and I, we've been thinking that perhaps…. perhaps it's time to stop trying to take back Earth."

This caught Pink off-guard, could she really have heard that right? She glanced down to Pearl for a split second, a look of surprise on her face as well. "Really?"

Blue nodded solemnly. "It's just that Yellow and I have gone over the numbers, and we've spent more time and resources on that planet than it's worth. More than any planet before it."

"So, Earth is no longer going to be a colony?" Pink was attempting to keep the hope out of her voice but after five hundred years, having the sudden news that all her work was about to pay off, it was difficult to say the least.

Blue shook her head. "No."

A sense of relief and happiness washed over Pink, her plan had worked. Earth was going to be abandoned and she could finally begin the task of working with her sisters to try and reform their segmented empire. And yet, even as the positive emotions began to swirl within, the bad ones remained, in fact the anxiety hadn't faded at all. But why?

"So, when are we pulling out from Earth?" Pink asked.

"We aren't." Blue replied.

The dread was blotting out the relief. "What? What do you mean? You just said we are not going to use Earth for a colony."

"I know. And we aren't." Blue confirmed.

Pink gave her sister a confused look, the elder Diamond still refusing direct eye contact. "Then why are we not-"

"Yellow will explain." Blue cut off right as they reached the level the elevator had been going down to. The doors opened up to a large room where gems, mostly olivines, were working hard. Pink had never been down here but she recognized it instantly.

It was Yellow's R&D center.

Blue led the way past the gems, many of whom didn't even look up to salute. Pink eyed the creations as she passed, most of them were clearly weapons, but every fifth or sixth device she landed her eyes on would seem benign enough. Or maybe that's simply what Yellow wanted it to look like.

Blue led her sister all the way to the back of the room where a large door greeted them. She accessed the panel and it opened slowly with a hiss of air.

The four entered the room inside, set up much in the way the outer room was, except smaller, panels and consoles lining the walls with their respective gems working on each. But Pink's eyes were immediately drawn to the figure directly opposite the room from them, back to the wall facing out of some sort of large observatory window. Yellow turned and smiled that smug smile, beckoning them forward. The two pearls walked over to Yellow's pearl who stood off to the side and joined her quietly, standing out of the way.

As they neared, Yellow greeted them proper, turning to Blue first. "Thank you for escorting her, Blue." She said, putting a single hand on her shoulder.

Blue smiled, albeit weakly. "It was my pleasure."

Yellow then turned to the youngest Diamond. "Pink, how long has it been since we last saw each other face to face like this?"

"Five hundred years, give or take." Pink answered. "You're looking… well." She said, looking for some sort of compliment for her sister.

Yellow beckoned her closer and Pink complied. Yellow then reached out and pulled her into an embrace. The younger Diamond stiffened at the sudden contact but returned it after a few moments, unsure of what else she should do.

Her sister broke the embrace, addressing Pink. "So, I assume Blue has informed you of the news?"

"Yes, she said you were cancelling the colony plans for Earth." Pink said, the words coming out of her mouth as confusing and alien as they'd ever been.

"And she was correct." Yellow confirmed.

Pink couldn't believe it, those words coming from Yellow, she had seriously doubted she'd _ever_ hear them, yet here she was, saying them. Unlike before though, when Blue had been the one to do so, Pink felt not once iota of relief. This wasn't like Yellow to just give up, not after so long and not so easily.

The question Pink wanted to blurt out was "What are you up to?" instead she settled for "So what happens to Earth now?"

"We're leaving it. But not without leaving something behind first." Yellow replied.

And there it was. Yellow was working some sort of angle, question was, what was it? "Come, there's something I want you to see." Yellow said motioning to the window. Pink stepped up closer and saw that the observation window overlooked a large white room. Far below she saw gems, but her eyes widened as she saw which gems they were.

They were Rose Quartzes, each and every one of them.

Pink turned to Yellow a mix of confusion and anger on her face. "What is the meaning of this?!"

The smug smile faded, leaving only the thin ambivalent glare that Pink had gotten far too used to seeing. "It occurs to me that this rebellion only started because you created the Rose Quartzes, Pink. At first I was fine with leaving them be, so long as they stayed far from Earth where the first one had turned, but then a thought occurred to me. What if there was something wrong with the entire cut of gems? What if they started their own rebellions across the stars and our empire tore itself apart? So, I came to a simply conclusion."

"You're going to shatter them." Pink said quietly in disbelief. A realization dawned on Pink just then, she had been feeling _their_ anxiety. The Rose Quartzes must have been aware of the rebellion on Earth, and to be called in such a manner… they must have thought they were going to be punished for the crimes of the gem-sister.

Yellow nodded. "Yes, I am. And that's not all." Yellow walked over to a large square holotable in the middle of the room and pressed a button. The room darkened as the hologram of a giant blue sphere appeared.

"What is that?" Pink asked, her voice in disbelief.

"We call it 'The Cluster'." Blue answered stepping up to stand beside Yellow. "it's a giant amalgamation of shattered gems."

In the last few hours there was a number of things Pink had not expected to hear, not ever. But this news was blowing them all out of the water. "What?!"

"It'll be the largest geo-weapon we've ever made, and we're going to use the Earth to gestate it." Yellow explained. "Just imagine it, we pull off of Earth and the rebellion think it's won the war, then only a few hundred years later, in a blink of an eye, the Earth is gone, the rebellion is destroyed and on top of it all we have a new weapon, so powerful none _dare_ question our authority ever again."

Pink was stunned into silence. Yellow was efficient, cunning, ruthless, these were things she knew about her for years, but to go to this extent… it was beyond words.

Well, not quite beyond words.

"Are you out of your MINDS?!" Pink said incredulously. Blue frowned while Yellow's thin ambivalent look turned to one of annoyance. "You going to destroy my Rose Quartzes for crimes they didn't commit and use their shards to add to this… this ABOMINATION?!"

Blue took a step towards her. "Pink, please calm down."

Pink turned her gaze to her. "And you! Blue! You supported this?!"

Blue looked away to the ground. "Pink… the rebellion has cost us so much as it is, this just seemed like-"

"Enough Blue." Yellow said cutting her off. "It's this kind of coddling that got us into this situation in the first place." Yellow then turned her gaze back to Pink. "You've had over half a millennium to fix this mistake of yours and so far, have only proven that you cannot solve it on your own. This takes care of many of our problems at once and ensure they never happen again." Yellow then narrowed her eyes even further. "Or perhaps it's not that at all." Pink relented a bit at that. "Maybe it's how you've been dividing you focus between the rebellion and that space station you had built."

Pink's eyes widened at that. "How-"

"Did you really think you could hide that obscene thing from me?" Yellow asked. "Or how you filled it with those… _organics_." Yellow said spitting out the last word with disgust. "Your obsession with them is as disturbing as ever."

"And your dismissal of them is as short-sighted as ever." Pink countered.

Yellow sighed, shaking her head and stepping forward, closing the gap between her and Pink. "I've given you a lot of leniency Pink. Allowed much that, I see now, I never should have the first place." She stopped right in front of Pink, looking her in the eye. "This is going to happen. This is the plan, and you _will_ follow it to the letter. Do I make myself clear?"

Pink was silent, matching glares with her sister in silence while the pearls and Blue looked on, waiting for something to happen. Then pink uttered a single word to shatter the silence. "No."

Yellow's gaze did not shift, but a single brow raised. "What did you say?"

"I said 'No.'" Pink repeated. "Earth is my world, I will do as I see fit upon it and you have no right to tell me otherwise."

Yellow's gaze of ice turned subzero. "Listen carefully, Pink. I'm going to give you one chance to take back what you've said, and do as you're told." She allowed another silence to pass between them. "Will you follow the plan? Will you do as you've been told?"

Pink looked her dead in the eye, matching her gaze's intensity. "No, I will not."

 _ **SMACK**_

Blue's hands shot up to her face and Pearl gasped as Pink reeled with a step back as Yellow's hand came across her face, quick as lightning. "Twenty thousand years and you haven't changed a bit. If you only had the valor to do what needs to be done, the rebellion would have ended long ago. But you're still too naïve, Pink, and still too soft." Yellow said, shaking her head.

 _ **WHAM**_

Yellow flew across the room, smashing into the holotable and crushing it. Blue looked with horror from Yellow who laid in the debris to Pink, her fist outstretched. "Sorry Yellow, was _that_ too soft?"

The elder Diamond rose from the wreckage, anger in her eyes. "You _dare-_?"

Pink pointed an accusing finger to her. "Yes, I do. And now, it's my turn to talk, so listen close. I am _not_ your lackey. I am _not_ you subordinate. I am your sister and your equal, Earth is mine, not yours."

Yellow scowled deeply, her voice heavy with pent up rage. "Are you challenging my authority?"

"Yes I am. I challenge you Yellow. If I win you leave my planet, my station, my gems and myself alone to deal with as I see fit." Pink said, finger still pointing.

"And if you lose, you will do as you're told, no questions asked now and forever." Yellow countered. Pink nodded and Yellow did as well. "Follow me."

* * *

The two Diamonds soon found themselves on opposite sides of an observation room, much like the one they'd just left. Blue Diamond stood off to the side, behind a force-field and the exit, watching with the three pearls, all four having looks of concern or confusion.

"Stop this, both of you! Before this goes any further!" Blue pleaded to the both of them.

Yellow and Pink had mirrored scowls. "It's time our youngest sister learned some respect for her elders, Blue."

The two slowly began to circle one another, watching the other closely as they did so. Yellow then sent out a blast of electricity like a shot from her index finger. Pink dived out of the way and started to run as Yellow unleased bolts with rapid fire succession. Pink was managing to doge but only barely as she closed the distance.

Pink threw a punch which Yellow dodged with ease and began a swift combination of punches and kicks that Yellow expertly maneuvered around. Seeing an opening, Yellow gave lightning-fast jabs to the stomach before sweeping Pink from her feet and attempting to shock her once more.

The younger Diamond locked her legs around Yellow and cause the elder to lose her balance, firing off a blast into the ceiling. Pink quickly got up but soon found her movement speed sluggish as she neared the walls or the floor. As if her arms were pulling her towards them.

"You feel it, don't you?" Yellow asked. "It's a bit of magnetism I put on you when I hit you with my palms, it won't last that long… but it won't need to." Electricity began to build up within Yellow's fists, making them glow with yellow light. Yellow aimed the blast at Pink who began to reach up into her hair. Yellow fired and an explosion blasted off where Pink stood.

The dust began to clear, revealing a large wall of burnt wood in the way. "What?!" Yellow exclaimed.

The wood parted, showing Pink unscathed. "That's your problem Yellow, always underestimating what comes from but a single seed."

Yellow fired again but Pink dodged out of the way and the wood around Pink shifted, covering her legs and arms like wooden boots and gauntlets. Pink jumped high into the air and stuck her feet into the ceiling, the wood digging into the spaces between the tiles. Yellow continued to fire, but Pink ran along the ceiling until she was right above Yellow, dive bombing her and causing Yellow to dodge out of the way, making a metal crater where Pink now stood.

Yellow summoned her blade with a flash of electricity and charged. The blade bit into the wood but not all the way, giving Pink an opening to kick her away. Yellow flew through the air but flipped through the air and landed on her feet.

Pink's wooden gauntlets began to crumble away, revealing a pink glow beneath. More of the wood began to crumble away before falling off completely. Two matching pink shields shown on Pink Diamond, they covered her forearm, rounded and square.

"It's been a long time since I've seen those." Yellow said.

"Why don't you take a closer look?" Pink replied, jumping into the air and smashing the ground as Yellow dodged out of the way. The two clashed and locked together. Yellow began getting the upper hand, her electricity surging and pushing Yellow back and down.

Suddenly, vines began to sprout from the cracks in the ground. They whipped around, wrapping around Yellow's legs and breaking her balance. Pink took the opening and backed off. She tapped into her power as much as she could, forcing the plants to grow faster and faster as Yellow struggled against them.

Soon, wood encased Yellow in her entirety, growing thicker and stronger. Soon a giant wood tree, if it could still be called that, stood where Yellow had once been. Pink gave a victorious smirk. "You done yet?!" she called out. She heard nothing in response and was about to dismiss the plant, before she saw that the tree was beginning to glow from the inside. Cracks of openings began to light up brighter and brighter and the wood was beginning to shake. The young Diamond put her shield-arms together and they joined, extending out into a large tower shield just as the gnarled planet exploded outwards in a rain of splinters and smoking wood.

Pink was blown away, but safe thanks to her shield. She looked over to Yellow her face twisted with anger. She charged Pink as the younger Diamond separated her tower shield into its two component parts and once again engaged in fighting.

This time was different however, Yellow's attacks were fiercer, her blade glowing with powerful electric current. Yellow found an opening and kneed Pink in the chest before knocking her away with a kick. The younger Diamond skipped off the ground and rolled.

Pink picked herself up in time to see Yellow holding out her sword in front of her, the energy charging within it and making the blade grow ever brighter. Realizing what was coming Pink transformed her shield back into its single form. The elder Diamond fired her massive blast of electricity right at Pink. The younger Diamond blocked it with her shield, sending energy scattering to the sides and behind her but the energy did not relent as Yellow continued to fire. Pink began to step forward, closer and closer towards the blast's source, the energy only getting stronger as she neared. Yellow gritted her teeth as she summoned as much energy as she could to push Pink back, but she held on. Closer and closer she crept, gaining ground bit by bit. Then just as her shield touched the tip of the blade a giant explosion encompassed them both.

Yellow was send flying into the wall behind and Pink was sent tumbling at high speeds in the opposite direction. Blue looked from one sister to the other very nervously, neither were moving an inch. Then Yellow picked herself off from the wall, panting as she did so. She slowly made her way toward Pink, who lay motionless, dragging her sword on the ground behind her.

Once Yellow had closed the distance she looked over her younger sister. Scorch marks marred her in several places, her pink jumpsuit looking tattered and torn. She then looked down towards herself, she looked much the same.

Pink weakly opened her eyes and attempted to sit up, though it was very difficult to do so. She reached with one hand over her gem. The belt was intact, at least there was that. She then looked up to Yellow who was towering over her, looking down at herself before noticing Pink's eyes and meeting them. Yellow held out her blade. "You've lost Pink, yield."

The younger Diamond could barely move a single finger but weakly shook her head.

Yellow could barely make words without huffing them out. "You can't even stand, you've lost this little sister."

Pink managed to gather enough energy to sit up. "I… do not… yield…"

Yellow let the sword's tip drop to the ground. "Such a stubborn thing you are."

Pink managed a weak smile. "I guess… we're alike… in one aspect…" Pink managed to breath out, chuckling weakly.

"That's enough from both of you." Blue said stepping in.

"Don't interfere, Blue." Yellow said turning to her.

Blue merely reached out and pushed on Yellow, sending her to the ground with minimal effort. "Look at you two, too tired to stand, too stubborn to give in." She looked towards Pink. "Pink, Yellow is right. You're too soft on your subordinates, and you don't respect the hierarchy which in part lead to the rebellion." She then turned to her elder sister. "Yellow, Pink is also right. She's a Diamond, one of us, and even though she may not always act like it, that does hold meaning. When White put you in charge it was because she wanted you to lead us, not boss us around and give us orders like any other gem. If Pink says she can handle the situation, then we should trust her to do so."

The two sisters looked to Blue then to each other. Yellow stood up, dismissing her weapon. "Fine, I suppose since you've proven you have some strength, so I'll not implement the Cluster plan, not yet." She held out her hand, her fingers extended. "Five hundred years, that's what it's taken you so far, and how long you have left. If you don't put the rebellion down by then, we do things my way. And concerning that deep space station of yours… keep it. But from now on you are to focus on the rebellion, I'll be making sure you don't have any further contact with it, not until the war is over. And lastly, the Rose Quartzes will have their physical forms destroyed and their gems bubbled." Pink looked like she was about to object but Yellow held up a hand. "I will not destroy them Pink, but they are a liability all the same. We can talk about their future in our empire _after_ the war is over." She was about to turn to leave but stopped, turning back to Pink. "One other thing, Blue?" she caught her sister's attention as she addressed her. "You're going to Earth with Pink to help her put down this rebellion once and for all." Blue nodded and Yellow returned the nod, and with that finally walked away, slowly and in pain, leaving Blue and Pink alone with their respective pearls.

Pearl ran to Pink's side. "My Diamond! Are you alright?!" She asked, great concern on her features.

Blue bent down allowing Pink to sling one of her arms over her. "Don't worry Pearl, I'll be fine in a few hours."

Blue smiled softly. "That was quite the display."

Pink smiled back through the pain. "I know, it's been a long time since I had to exert myself like that."

"So, I guess we'll be working together now." Blue said.

"Seems so." Pink acknowledged.

Blue gave her a confident smile. "I'm sure with us working together the rebellion won't stand a chance."

Pink returned the smile, significantly weaker. "Yeah, they'll never see us coming."

* * *

 **HA! No, not really, but could you imagine?**

 **-Savannah9137- Sorry dear, I still have no idea what you're going on about. Pink's mission right now is to put down the rebellion, so…**

 **More questions though, please**


	28. Ch 28: Purplish

**Chapter 28, you know it occurs to me that we haven't seen much of Rose.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 28: Purplish

Rose sat alone in her room once more, nothing but her thoughts and the tree, now of the palm verity, to occupy her. Tending to the room-generated plant had a calming effect, allowing Rose to think more clearly as she practiced her pseudo-herbology.

The rebellion for instance, there were times when she really wondered if this was all worth it.

The war's toll had already been terrible. Countless gems who had lived for millennia, shattered in an instant, their long existences brought to a sudden and violent close. All for the sake of beings who were destined to expire one way or the other anyways.

There were times even, when she wanted to go to Pink and just… quit. She didn't want to lead the rebellion any longer, she couldn't, it was too hard, the burden too much for her to bear alone.

And yet, every time that particular thought crossed her mind, she would go out and watch the planet, just… watch it, in all its complexity and simplicity, and it was breathtaking every time. The planet could be so beautiful sometimes that even the nonliving parts of it had their charms. The rush of the air, the crashing of the waves, the coolness of the rain, the warmth of the sun, it was gorgeous, and worth protecting.

Rose's thoughts then turned to her followers and she mused on why they fought for Earth.

There were some who shared her appreciation for life on Earth, but not many. Most who had joined were in it for themselves, seeing it as an opportunity to break away from the rigid confines of the empire. Still, even with that somewhat selfish motive, the gems who came to the rebellion's side often regarded each other very warmly, gaining comradery in their shared desires and goals. Though there were a few who didn't even fight because of that.

Pearl, for instance, had been around since the beginning, but Rose always got the impression that the only reason that Pearl was so dedicated to the rebellion's cause was because it was Rose's cause. Pearl didn't seem bothered by her place as a Pearl, wanting to only serve her master which was she herself, Rose, so it wasn't the prospect of freedom that kept her true to the cause. Neither did the white gem seem particularly attached to the life here, often dismissing it as simple and quaint when Rose asked her what she thought of it. Regardless, she was a loyal soldier and skilled warrior, often taking down much larger gems with her swift and precise strikes. Rose was glad to have called her friend, and thankful for the day Pink had given her to her.

* * *

 _Approximately 500 years earlier…_

Four gems stood on a beach, the setting sun making their shadows long.

Rose gave a curious look from Pink Diamond to the small gem practically hiding behind her leg. Pink's own pearl seemed to be whispering something to her and the white gem nodded, coming out, her fellow Pearl holding her by the arm, partly to assure her and partly to make sure she didn't run.

Pink leaned down and pushed her forward, nearly making the white pearl fall over as her balance was upset.

The gem stood stiff and upright Rose raised a brow and looked up to Pink. "My Diamond…?"

Pink smiled her gentle and warm smile. "Rose, meet Pearl."

The white gem stuck out a stiff and shaky hand. "P-P-Pleased to meet you." She said quickly.

A look of sudden remembrance hit her and then Rose took the hand with a reassuring grin. "Oh yes! I do remember now. Sorry for not realizing sooner, and the feeling's mutual, I'm Rose Quartz."

They broke off the handshake and the smaller gem seemed to steady, gaining a nervous smile.

"She's been asking about you." Pink's pearl said stepping forward.

"Oh?" Rose said looking from one pearl to the other. "And why's that?"

"I think she might have some… infatuation with you." Pink said with a knowing smirk.

The white pearl turned around suddenly the bluff blotting out any other color from her face. "MY DIAMOND! PLEASE!"

Pink threw back her head with laughter and Pink's pearl also chuckled a bit. The white pearl seemed to somehow blush even harder, her entire head turning a light blue. Pink finally stopped, wiping a tear form her eye and looked from the now blue faced pearl to Rose. "So, here's the thing Rose, I'm assigning her to you."

Rose raised a brow at this. Only gems held in the highest regard were given their own pearl, and this one seemed especially nice, which made Rose wonder one thing. "That's… thank you Pink, but she wasn't made for me, was she?"

Pink's smile faded her face becoming a hard line as she gazed down. "No, she…" she sighted deeply. "She was for my sister but, White Diamond won't be having any need of her. Not for a long time, I imagine. Blue Diamond had me watch over her, but I already have my own, so I'm passing her down to you."

The white pearl bent her knee in front of Rose. "I swear to serve you to the upmost of my ability, now and forever." She said solemnly.

Rose felt a bit uncomfortable at that. "I… am honored to accept." She said hesitantly.

Rose walked over and knelt between them, putting a hand on each of their shoulders, which was rather large so it more or less draped over them. "I can tell you two will be the best of friends in no time." She said beaming at them both.

* * *

There were some in the rebellion however that weren't quite as ideal. Lapis was one whose circumstance had weighed heavy on Rose. She'd been one of the first-generation rebels, wanting to break away from her duty of destroying habitable planets with their own oceans. However, she was also quick to turn, not out of malice for the rebellion but out of fear of retribution from the Diamonds. Not that Rose could blame her for that, but she still had to be… dealt with. There had been a few more such circumstances over the years, but none as hard as that first time. Lapis had the potential to be a great asset to rebellion, and a great friend to Rose, more's the pity.

But she had a feeling, the worst was yet to come.

As if on cue, as soon as the though passed through Rose's mind she could feel someone accessing the dimension. She got up and turned around expecting to see Pink Diamond's form at any moment. But through the mists, she saw only Pink's pearl walking towards her, la frown upon her features.

"Pearl, it's good to see you." Rose greeted, before looking behind her through the mists. "Is Pink Diamond lagging behind?" she asked.

Pearl shook her head. "No, she's not coming. Not ever again even, I imagine."

Rose looked confused. "Why? What's happened?"

As an answer, Pearl pulled out a small holographic recorder and pressed a button. The pale blue image of Pink appeared before her, small in the Pearl's palm, it mirrored the sadness on her Pearl's face. "Hello Rose, you're doing well I hope?"

The hologram went silent for a few moments as if expecting an answer before continuing.

"Well, I hope you are. Anyways, to be brief, things are accelerating. Yellow Diamond has plans for the Earth and she refuses to be deterred despite our best efforts. In fact, if anything she seems even more determined to wipe out the rebellion. But luckily, I was able to delay her plans for half a millennium. However, to ensure imperial plans are no longer impeded, she has sent Blue Diamond to ensure the empire's victory here. And with her now being so close, I'm afraid that our meetings together are at an end. At best, only Pearl now will be able to meet with you to give you updates, I hope you understand."

Another pause.

"There is one more thing." Pearl then pulled out what looked to be some sort of computerized black box. "This is all the data I've collected on curing the corruption Rose, I entrust it to you. With Blue so near, my work on it will have to be passed on to you to finish." Rose took the drive carefully, looking at it for a moment before looking back towards the hologram. It seemed to take on a look of shame as it continued. "I know that this isn't what you wanted to hear Rose, and I'm sorry. But for what it's worth, I'm glad that it's you, and I couldn't be prouder of all you've done. I want you to know that. Stay safe, Pink Diamond, signing off." The hologram faded and Pearl put it away.

Rose took another glance to the black box and then to Pearl. "Thank you, Pearl."

Pearl was about to turn to leave but then stopped. "Was there anything you wanted me to tell her?"

There was _plenty_ Rose wanted to say to Pink Diamond. But as worn and rickety and the bridge was, Rose wasn't going to burn it, not over this. "Tell her I understand. And that I hope to hear from her again soon."

Pearl could sense the unease in Rose and took a step forward taking her hand. "Rose, I've known Pink Diamond for tens of thousands of years. I know what she's asked of you, and what you know she's asked of others may seem selfish on her part but let me tell you one thing. There is no gem in all the cosmos who has tried harder for the sake of gems, for the sake of _all_ life. And if she asks you to do something it's because she trusts you to do it, no matter how hard it may seem. She has faith in you, is it really so hard to do the same for her?"

Rose blinked in surprise, then chuckled lightly. "Heheheh. No, I suppose not. I sometimes forget how wise you can be, Pearl."

This time the lithe gem chuckled herself. "Well, I've been advising for thousands of years, one would hope to be good at it after so long." She then bowed. "Take care of yourself, Rose Quartz." She then turned around and disappeared back into the mists.

* * *

Blue Diamond was silent as she sifted through the files on the computer, many were data sheets on battles, locations casualties, etc., etc. She seemed less than pleased, but it was hard to tell with her sometimes. Even as Pink stood beside her and reached out with her empathy power she could feel what could only be described as a pensive mood, but not if she had already formulated an opinion or not.

Finally, Blue shut off the console and put a hand to her chin in continued thought. "You know, when I heard there was a rebellion here, I didn't think much of it. The closest we had ever come to something like this was thousands of years ago, and that was the work of only four gems, five if you count that traitorous pearl. We put that down in under 3 months, start to finish. So, when I got that broadcast I thought you'd be able to take care of it just as quickly. But then over the years I've had to listen to Yellow complain to me every odd month about how you're not doing everything you can do put down these rebels. But she has no idea, does she? These rebels, their tactics, their battle strategies, it must have been all you could do to keep them from driving you off the planet entirely."

Pink was impressed. She hadn't often thought Blue had much a mind for war, that was Yellow's forte, but she had managed to get a precise sense of how the war was going in less than half an hour of reading. "So, what's our next move?"

"That's an excellent question, and who better to ask a question about the future than one who can see it?" Blue asked.

The younger Diamond immediately knew to what Blue was referring. "You want to bring in a sapphire."

Blue grinned. "That's right." Sapphires were one of Blue's go-to gems. With their ability to foresee coming events they often made great leaders on colony worlds, able to come up with the exact solution to any given problem. In fact, the only gems with higher authority than them, were the Diamonds themselves. But, they were also exceedingly rare. When Blue had first made them, they had impressed both Yellow and White, but both the elder gems agreed to quickly stem their production, after all who else but the Diamonds need to know about coming events? So there were never more than thirty in the entire galaxy at one time.

Pink still remembered when they had last consulted a sapphire for advice and Pink had to admit their ability to perceive the future was incredible, and now a possible threat to the rebellion. "Are you sure that's wise, sister?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean you've always been a little… over reliant on them." Pink replied. "What if the predictions she gives you come out wrong? It's not like it hasn't happened before."

Blue shook her head. "You and Yellow are always doubting them. I mean they can see they future! What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

 _One month later…_

* * *

Pink teleported with Pearl to the sky area, she'd just gotten news that something big had happened here and she came to investigate herself. As she walked through the halls many of them gems she recognized to be part of not her court, but of Blue's, seeming far more regal and fancy than Pink's own troops.

She could hear shouting in the distance and started to trot towards its source. At the center of the arena Blue was inside her palanquin hunched over facing away from Pink as dozens of gems surrounded her.

"My Diamond please-" one started.

She suddenly whipped her head around wildly, looking to all within her range. "ENOUGH! GET OUT! ALL OFYOU!" she screamed at them. The gems quickly dispersed, some avoiding eye contact with Pink as they passed while those that did saluted without breaking pace. Within a few moments all who were left within the area were the Diamonds and their respective pearls. The blue pearl stood apart from the palanquin, not leaving her Diamond but staying a respective distance away as she fumed.

Pink waited a few more moments before taking steps towards the palanquin. Blue jerked her head to the side but didn't turn around. "ARE YOU DEAF?! I SAID 'GET OUT'! BEFORE I HAVE YOU SHATTERED!" Pink hesitated for a moment before continuing on, though Pink motioned for Pearl to stay back, if only to prevent her from getting caught in the crossfire.

Hearing more footsteps. Blue Diamond got from her palanquin and violently turned around. Her eyes were hidden but her mouth was a tight from of rage. However, once she recognized the figure standing before her, she quickly threw off her hood and her rage dissipated, leaving only a look of shock. "Pink! I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" she trailed off.

"It's fine, Blue, though I could hear you clear form the other side of the area. What happened?"

Blue's face immediately scrunched up with rage once more. "That… that Rose Quartz, she was here!"

Pink was caught off guard by that. "Rose Quartz? Here?"

Blue nodded. "No doubt about it. My sapphire, she had just arrived, predicted Rose Quartze's arrival and we were supposed to have been able to capture her but…" She paused, clenching her teeth and seething. "She got away."

"That's… terrible." Pink said trying to sound as disappointed as possible about the news.

Bleu relaxed her jaw, looking Pink dead in the eye. "That's not even the worst of it. The sapphire she… she _fused_ with one of her ruby guards, and just as I was about to order the shattering for such _blasphemy_ the sapphire runs off with the ruby and they escaped into the forests below."

The younger Diamond wasn't quite where to start with all of that. "Wait, how many gems did Rose bring with her? Why aren't there more signs of battle here?"

"One, Rose Quartz herself and that pearl she stole."

"She only came with a single soldier?" Pink asked disbelievingly.

"Yes. She announced herself and demanded I leave Earth." Blue recalled.

"So why did the ruby and the sapphire…?"

"the sapphire said she would lose her physical form, but she was wrong and the ruby saved her by fusing together. Then when I demanded retribution for such heresy she and the ruby fled."

"So, to summarize, Rose Quartz attacked with nearly no backup and in the process of attacking you also attacked the sapphire which resulted with her fusing with a ruby which led to them fleeing?"

Blue nodded.

"If it were anyone but you telling me this, I'd say they were trying to mess with me." Which was true. In all the years the rebellion had been going on, the events that had just been described had broken Pink's top ten strangest.

The anger finally faded for the last time and Blue walked over to the edge of the arena, sitting down. Pink walked over and joined her and for a few seconds allowed the silence to hand in the air as they looked down on the planet below.

"So, now the rebellion may have a fortune teller on their side." Pink said.

The elder Diamond nodded. "So it would seem."

"This is going to be a long war."

* * *

Rose had only just entered her room when she saw a silhouette of Pink's pearl in the distance.

"Pearl, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon." Rose said, walking towards her. But as she neared she noticed something… off about her. For one, there was a huge frown on her face and her arms were crossed, she looked angry. And in the years Rose had known Rose's Pearl, she'd never known her to make a face like that, it was practically surreal. "Pearl…?"

"Are you out of your star-burned mind?" She asked calmly, completely throwing off Rose who blinked in astonishment.

"What?"

"Attacking my sister? Surrounded by her own court?! With a gem that could SEE THE FUTURE?! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?!" Pear shouted.

"Your sister…? What? Pearl, what are you talking about?" Rose asked, absolutely bewildered.

"I'm not Pearl, I'm Pink Diamond!" Pearl shouted back as Rose looked at her like she'd grown a second head. "Look, I got no time to explain the details, but it _is_ me, Pink Diamond, I've just taken over Pearl's body so I can speak to you."

"Ooookay." Rose replied, trying to play along. "So… 'Pink' the reason that I attacked Blue Diamond is because I thought that if we attacked Blue in her own court, it would show her that we're not afraid to attack even a Diamond on her home turf."

"And that didn't strike you as being completely unnecessarily dangerous?" Pearl asked.

"Hey, we can handle ourselves." Rose shot back. "And as you can see not only did we come out unscathed, but now we have a gem who can see the future fighting for us. Oh, and get this, she likes to stay fused _permanently_. Isn't that wild?"

Pearl sighed. "Look, just… don't do anything like that again alright? If you get captured or hurt the entire rebellion falls apart."

"Alright, alright. I got it." The quartz relented, holding up her hands.

Pearl nodded. "Good, now help Pearl up."

Rose looked confused and was about to inquire about that until Pearl fell to her knees, slumped over and ran over to her, shaking her. "Pearl! Are you alright?"

Pearl nodded. "Fine, just a little woozy. I… never like it when she does that." She said, standing up and turning to leave, only to be caught by Rose at the shoulder.

"Hold on, before you go, what was that?"

* * *

Pink's eyes fluttered open and she stood up from her seat. She had gotten somewhat better at the control of her mind-transfer power, but It was still temperamental, unstable, unreliable.

The young Diamond walked out of her room and began the trek up the spire tower. Having Blue Diamond here to help her and been somewhat of a mixed blessing. For one, Yellow finally seemed to be letting up, not calling as often, whether that was because Pink had proven herself to her or she simply trusted Blue to get things done here was up for debate. Unfortunately, this also meant that Blue was constantly buzzing around her, leaving Pink with virtually no time for herself. Even the body-takeover of Pearl was risky, after all what would Blue think of Pink being unconscious?

As she sat back down at her console she noticed a call coming in, accessing it she saw the smiling face of Jasper.

"My Diamond! An honor to speak to you, as always." She greeted.

"Jasper, I assume everything has been taken care of?" Pink asked.

Jasper only grinned wider. "Of course, with me here was there any ever doubt?"

Pink smiled back. "No, I suppose not." And why should there have been? Jasper's battle record had been nearly spotless since she was made a commander of her own unit. She reminded her a lot of Flint, in fact, which got Pink to wondering, if she could bring Jasper into her fold. The quartz was certainly strong, there was little doubt of that, but that wasn't all she was looking for, perhaps she should set some time aside to get to know this gem better. "Jasper, my dear, would you care to meet up with me? I'd like to speak with your privately."

Jasper seemed elated. "Yes, of course, my Diamond! Just send me the coordinates of where to meet you."

* * *

Pink was standing in a grassy plane when she saw a small transport ship approach her. Jumping out and running over to salute, Jasper made her entrance.

Pink greeted her kindly. "Hello Jasper, thank you for joining me."

The quartz nodded. "It was no trouble at all."

Pink waved her hand as she turned and walked through the field. "Walk with me." Jasper at first kept a respectful pace behind the Diamond but after a glance back form Pink caught up and walked by her side.

"So Jasper, what should we talk about?" Pink asked.

The soldier gem shrugged her shoulders. "I… I'm not sure my Diamond. I thought you called me to talk about something in particular."

Pink returned the shrug. "Yes well, it wouldn't be much of a conversation if only one of us talked about things we liked, right?" Pink said jokingly.

"I suppose not, my Diamond." Jasper replied stiffly.

Perhaps it was better just to get to the heart of things. "Jasper, what do you think of this planet?"

"I… dunno. It's as good a place to be made as any, I guess." She replied gruffly.

"But what about the life here?" Rose asked.

Jasper looked up at her curiously. "What about it, my Diamond?"

"What do you think of it?" she asked.

"I don't, my Diamond." She answered simply.

"You… don't?" Pink said, making sure she had heard right.

Jasper nodded. "I don't think about it. Not one bit."

"But what about how beautiful and interesting everything around us is?" Pink asked, motioning all around her.

Jasper looked at the grass, the animal roaming in the distance, and then back to Pink. "All I see are organics who are in the way of making this another colony for out empire." She replied flatly.

Pink's heart sank at that. "You don't care about it? Or even think about any of the life here?"

"What's the point? It'll all be gone sooner or later anyways. But, if I may, my Diamond, wasn't it that kind of questioning that lead to the rebellion breaking out in the first place?" she asked.

The diamond consented. "Yes, Rose held an appreciation for life here, and didn't want to see it destroyed, which is why she betrayed me."

"I heard she used to be one of your closest generals." Jasper added.

Pink nodded. "She was."

"And see, right there is the problem." Jasper pointed out. "She was a soldier who refused to follow orders, now we have an entire planet running amok with war and for what? For this?" she asked leaving down and pulling a section of grass out of the ground and throwing it away carelessly. "Or so that some gems could do whatever they wanted instead of helping our expanding empire? It's all just disgraceful." She said shaking her head.

This wasn't good, Jasper had so far displayed none of the qualities Pink had hoped she had. She didn't care about life here and she didn't think gems who wanted freedom were doing the right thing. If anything, it seemed that this conversation was making Jasper seem even less sympathetic to the rebellion than Pink had guessed.

There was no doubt in Pink's mind, there was no place for Jasper in her inner circle. Such a shame, really.

"Thank you, Jasper, I needed some… outside perspective and you've provided that for me. You may return to the front." Jasper grinned saluted and got back on the ship before blasting off.

As pink watched the craft leave only one thought occupied her mind. Jasper had to go.

* * *

 **Done. Review please.**


	29. Ch 29: End

**Chapter 29, man it's hard to come up with one word titles.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 29: End

 _Four hundred ninety-nine years later…_

* * *

Time was running out.

One way or the other, soon everything would be over. The war, the rebellion, the farce, everything.

And unfortunately for Pink, no outcome was looking favorable.

If the rebellion won and pushed the empire off Earth, Yellow would simply destroy it with the Cluster, effectively acting as a living bomb.

If the empire somehow managed to win, it would mean that all this was a waste of time. All Pink's efforts, all the gems who died for the sake of even a modicum of change… all for naught.

Things weren't sitting well with either of her sisters either. Blue had just about had it, displaying frustration over the tenacity of the rebellion, agreeing with Yellow more and more that planting the Cluster was the best option as the years dragged on. She had already returned to homeworld to prepare transport of the gruesome thing while Homeworld was driven back farther and farther.

Then there was Jasper, dear and loyal Jasper. Pink had no idea what to think of her anymore. When she had learned of the orange gem's indifference to the planet's suffering she had made it a point to make her as useless as possible, placing her in strategically insignificant places or guardian essentially unimportant things.

Yet somehow Jasper had still made a name for herself. Somehow gaining what little glory that could be gained in what was essentially no man's land. Usually by going out by herself and stumbling upon a rebel scout party.

After that Pink, had tried to place her in the most dangerous of places as a "reward" for proving herself.

Boy did that backfire.

No matter the situation, no matter the odds, nothing stopped her. Ambush on patrols, entire legions laying sieges to bases, a fight a hundred to one, it didn't matter. Jasper had gotten through it all and beaten the odds. And with her success came renown, so much that she even overshadowed Flint's earlier accomplishments in the war. Whispers went on up and down the halls, speaking of the "Invincible Jasper" the "Ultimate Quartz".

So, to keep up appearances while temporarily solving the problem, Jasper had been "promoted" to be her personal bodyguard for the last two hundred years. A job Jasper took quite… seriously, to say the least. She was nearly always by her side, especially when outside her own private quarters, and sometimes not even then. The quartz often barked and berated her fellow gems especially when she thought they weren't being respectful enough to the Diamond, even though if anything Pink preferred the informality.

She had often tried again and again to instill an appreciation for the planet and towards other gems, but that had minimal success. At best, she tolerated the lesser gems and the life on Earth at worst she seemed utterly disgusted by it, not understanding Pink's own fascination with it.

Why didn't she pop for Yellow instead?

Still, even with her… shall we say lack of empathy, Jasper did have some good points too. For one, while she looked down on many, she did acknowledge gems she thought were in her own words "worth the dirt they crawled out from", treating them with respect and not allowing a bad word about them from anyone, not even each other. She was stubborn, but that made her persistent, never allowing a task to go untended to for very long. She showed no fear but never acted recklessly, a peerless warrior and a tactician even in the midst of battle. She allowed anger to fuel her might but never allowed it to run amok, instead using it to drive her forward towards her target. She was unmoving in her mind, and sure of her convictions, and speaking them aloud even if it wasn't what people wanted to hear. She was arrogant, but it often gave confidence to those around her in the midst of battle.

If she had shorter hair and a greyer physique, Pink would have sworn up and down Flint had a twin.

But, despite their differences, Pink had gotten close with her, after all how could one not after so long together?

Pink would often pose questions about what Jasper thought of the war, or of other gems, or even their society as a whole, and sometimes Jasper even surprised her. She seemed like she trusted the Diamond authority like most gems, but also wasn't afraid to point out the glaring flaws if she thought they were there.

Jasper, in turn, would often question Pink about her fascination with the organics or why they were still fighting so long for just one planet, or even what her plans were after the war was over. Sometimes she'd explain things for a purely objective standpoint, pointing out how much good could come from orgic interaction. But other times, Pink would allow her personal ties to slip, dropping hints here and there about the full extent of her powers.

And sometimes, they'd talk about nothing. It would simply be the small talk that happens between friends every now and then.

These little sessions of theirs would sometimes last hours, and they'd often revisit subjects they'd already had, coming up with new questions or ideas. Something that Pink had found surprising about Jasper, who Pink had once thought a warrior and nothing else. But even if Jasper herself thought that, the young Diamond could see so much more. It was a shame she'd never change, but Pink would never ask it of her either. Not just because of the obvious inherent risk, but because Pink didn't want Jasper to compromise her ideals, who she was, simply because a Diamond, _her_ Diamond, had ordered it of her.

In fact, the way Pink thought of Jasper now, it made her ashamed she had ever thought of getting rid of her as if she was nothing more than a disposable soldier, easily replaced. And the fact that that thought crossed her mind for even a moment brought concern to Pink. Was it a side effect of her sisters influence perhaps? Or was it simply her true Diamond nature shining through? She certainly didn't _want_ to think of gems of any kind as disposable, especially not consciously, but war had jaded Pink. What was supposed to be a rebellion where her sisters gave up easily, earliest ten years latest a hundred, had turned into a long war of attrition for both sides.

The empire kept pulling gems from colony worlds until they were nearly deserted, flinging everyone they could at the problem. Meanwhile, on the rebellion's side, Rose had had to have mastered her powers of healing, and then not only that but be able to replicate it in other forms. A side with virtually no limit to the number of its troops versus one that could keep using the troops it had indefinitely, and neither had given an inch for centuries.

But everything changed for the rebellion when they had gotten their sapphire. And little by little, inch by inch the rebellion had managed to push the empire all the way back to its last Earth outpost, and it was looking like they would soon strike.

Meanwhile her sisters had sent word that Blue was now on her way back with the Cluster in tow, and that Pink was to meet her in secret, out in neutral territory. The plan was to put up a "noble last stand" and finally allow the rebellion their victory, while on the other side they implemented the cluster, and after a century or two, BAM, no more Earth.

There were just a few last messages to compose, and then Pink would be off. And… done. She sent them off, trusting they would reach her friends in time.

With a final deep breath, Pink stood from the console, and departed from the control room, ready to depart at last.

Jasper was waiting for Pink aboard her ship, giving her usual smile, a mix of genuine pleasure and pride. She gave a salute as Pink waved her off. Sitting down Jasper then turned to the pilot. "Let's get moving!" And with that, they blasted off towards Earth.

* * *

Rose sat quietly in her room, simply allowing the pink mists to swirl and ebb around her. At long last, it was almost over. The thousands… no, _tens_ of thousands of gems who'd given their lives for the cause, it was all about to be made worthwhile. The empire would be pushed off, Earth would be free, both for the life living here and for the gems who'd made it their new home.

But did that mean she should use… _it_?

* * *

 _A century and a half earlier…_

* * *

Rose walked down the heated hallway of Bismuth's personal workshop, the multi-colored gem had called her here for something, a "surprise" she had said.

She found her old friends waiting for her with a smile that left Pink feeling uneasy.

"Rose! You've finally come!" She said walking up and embracing her.

"Bismuth, you've been cooped up here so long, some of us were getting worried." Rose replied.

The smile only grew wider. "Ah, what's a few decades between friends?" she asked. "But anyways, let's get down to 'bismuth' shall we?" she said chuckling at her own bad joke. She motioned over to the center of the room and transformed her hand into a 4-pronged key, unlocking something with an audible click and causing them to descend into a magma chamber of some sort.

This was a part of Bismuth's workshop Rose had never seen, but she said nothing. "The weapon, the one I've been making, the one I've spent centuries on? I've done it! It's complete!" Bismuth said with barely contained excitement. She walked over to the nearby wall and plucked something out of it, then turned around and showed Rose.

The weapon looked like some sort of piston with a point. "What is it?" Rose asked.

"I like to call it the 'Breaking Point'." Bismuth replied excitedly. "Oh, you have no idea how long it took to make this thing perfect for use, but now its ready for anything."

"And what exactly _can_ it do?"

The smile again. "Let me show you." Bismuth stepped on a switch in the floor and magma flowed free into dummy casts, hardening before being pushed forward by some kind of mechanism. "We are the Crystal Gems! AND NOTHING WILL STAND IN OUR WAY!" she bellowed before the piston pulled back and shot forward with a blinding speed, penetrating the dummy and leaving a circular hole for a brief moment before it crumbled to nothing.

Bismuth turned around on Rose, a wild look on her eye as Rose just blinked disbelievingly. "You… shattered it."

"I know, isn't it great?" the multicolored gem replied with the same giddiness. "Imagine it, hundreds of our gems all armed with one of these babies. Homeworld would be driven off of Earth inside a month."

"And all those gems, would be shattered… lost forever."

The smile turned to anger. "No less then they deserve!" Bismuth barked back. "Or did you forget Echo Base already?"

Pink had not, but said nothing, did nothing only gazed at Bismuth. But the multi-colored gem didn't give in so easily. "Here, try it for yourself." She took off the breaking point and handed it to Rose.

The quartz gazed at the weapon and then put it on. Bismuth tapped another one of the rock dummies and Rose walked up to it. She aimed it, hesitating for a moment then pulled down. The piston acted again and just like before absolutely destroyed the dummy.

Rose then turned back to her smith whose grin had come back with vengeance. "See? Isn't it amazing? And just think within only a few months I could have _hundreds_ of these produced, and then nothing could stop us ever again." The grin got wider. "In fact, we could shatter Blue and Pink Diamond here! Before they have a chance to escape! Then go to Homeworld and finish off White and Yellow Diamond too! We could free everyone! Everywhere!"

And in one brief moment, Rose saw it. She saw the potential she had in her hand, the changes she could make, the _good_ she could do. But to shatter a gem… what it would mean… what she would _become_ …

Finally, Rose lowered the weapon, taking it off and handing it back to Bismuth who looked at her curiously. "Bismuth, this isn't the way. We fight to defend ourselves, to defend our home."

"But this can help us do that!" The multi-colored gem argued. "If we have this kind of power no one will ever try and harm our friends again!"

"Shattering gems is not what the Crystal Gems should be about, what a Crystal Gem would do." Rose replied, earning a sneer from Bismuth.

"Don't you tell me what a Crystal Gem would do! I've watched _thousands_ of my friends die, right before my eyes." She held up the breaking point. " _This_ will make sure that _never_ happens again!"

"Bismuth, I want you to lock that away and never speak of it again." Rose ordered. "This isn't how we're going to win. This isn't right."

Bismuth glowered. "No."

Rose blinked before getting a slightly angered look on her face. "What did you say to me?"

"I said 'No'" Bismuth repeated, holding up the breaking point. "This has the power to end the war, to save our friends. And if you don't like it, fine, I'll use it myself. When everyone else sees how many lives I saved by having the better weapon, then we'll see if they feel the same as you."

Rose was silent for a good long time, before a smile suddenly graced her features, kind and genuine. "You know Bismuth, you're right."

This caught her off guard. "What?" she asked.

"It shouldn't just be left to me, we're a team, and the others should have a say about whether or not we use it or not." She said sweetly.

Bismuth blinked in surprise but her smile came back. "Ah! I knew you'd come around! You won't regret it Rose, just give me a chance and I'll prove I'm not wrong!"

"I'm sure you won't, Bismuth." Rose replied. "Say, how long does it take to make one of those?"

Bismuth rubbed the back of her head. "I know I said I could make a bunch in a short time, but it actually takes a bit of finesse, still with the right materials maybe I could make a mold or something for easier creation, I'd have to think about it."

"And the lever on the breaking point felt a bit stiff, do you mind checking for yourself?" Rose asked.

Bismuth looked at her creation, studying it for a moment then shrugging her shoulders, maybe testing it again would fix the problem. She walked over to a third dummy an d positioned the breaking point for firing. "Let's see if we can't-HURK!" Bismuth looked down to see a pink blade protruding from her chest.

She turned around to see Rose, looking sorrowfully at her. "For what it's worth Bismuth, I'm sorry it had to come to this. I'll tell them all you fell bravely in battle."

The multi-colored gems face contorted. "Rose…! You-"

 _ **POOF**_

Her gem and the weapon hit the floor with dull thuds. Rose bent down and bubbled the gem but then picked up the breaking point and walked over to the magma's edge, holding it above the molten fire for a few brief moments. "I should destroy this thing, it's an abomination." She said aloud, as if wanting to convince herself. But, Bismuth had a point. There may come a day when she needed such a weapon of destruction. So instead she laid it down in the middle of the rock outcropping on which she stood.

"I hope I never have to see that thing again."

* * *

Rose was broken from her trance-like state as she heard someone wanting to get in, from the Crystal Base side.

Rose departed the room to see Pearl and Garnet waiting for her. "So, is it time."

Garnet nodded solemnly. "This is our chance." She paused, putting a hand on her shoulder. "There's still time, we don't have to do this."

Rose sighed, gripping the hand on her shoulder firmly, and looking to Garnet. "Yes, we do. And you _know_ we do."

The fusion nodded once. "I know, it's just…" she paused again.

Rose only smiled to her wearily. "I know." She then looked to Pearl. "Are you ready?"

Pearl only looked back to Rose sadly. "As I'll ever be. If you say this is the way, I'll follow you."

Rose put her hands on both their shoulders. "One way or another, this all ends today." She then looked to each of them, tears in her eyes. "If… If I don't-"

"No!" Garnet said, tears welling up behind her glasses. "Don't you even say that! Don't even think it!"

Pearl chimed in, her eyes watered up. "That's right we're going to make it through this, all of us!"

Rose then embraced them. "I can never thank you guys enough, for being here with me."

The three allowed the moment to last for as long as they could, dreading what came next.

* * *

Pink ship landed and Jasper was first off the ramp. "Alright, when is Blue… wait a minute." She looked around, they had landed inside their last major base on Earth. "What are we doing here?"

"I asked them to come here, Jasper." Pink replied, stepping off the ship herself.

"Why? This isn't where we're supposed to go to meet Blue Diamond."

"I know. That's because you're staying here, Jasper." Pink informed.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"The rebels are on the move, and their attack here is imminent." Pink replied. "And with that in mind we need all the gems we can spare to keep this place from falling, I trust no one more to keep that from happening that you."

Jasper actually blushed at that. "I… thank you my Diamond, but what about you?"

Pink smiled kindly to her. "I'll be fine, Jasper. I still have a contingent with me. And as soon as I'm done, I'm come right back, I promise." The orange quartz looked saddened and Pink pout a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I'm counting on you, don't let me down, alright?"

Jasper smiled genuinely. "Never."

Pink nodded. "Good." With that she turned around and left her ship taking off towards the horizon.

* * *

Pink Diamond descended to the ground in her palanquin with about two dozen soldiers as escort, this was the spot Blue had designated, out by a cliff. The young Diamond didn't know if her sister had picked this place on purpose, but the view was gorgeous. Strong trees she could make out in a valley far below.

Her communicator went off and she answered it, the small holographic form of her sister appeared before her. "Pink, I'm almost there. I should arrive in … minutes."

Pink eyed the communicator carefully. "Sorry, didn't catch that, how long?"

"I ..id … minu…" Blue replied as her holographic form began to fade become like static.

"Blue?" Pink asked but the hologram faded entirely. "Hey! What's happened?" Pink asked peering outside her palanquin.

Other soldiers were looking at their own communicators. "We don't know, my Dimond, communications aren't getting through."

"What is-"

 _ **KA-BANG**_

The group's attention was caught as in the distance a streak of light sored across the sky and the just as it collided with Pink's ship's hull.

 _ **KRAKA-BOOM!**_

The projectile tore right through the ship, leaving a gaping hole before the ship started to explode all across its side, falling from the air and landing in valley below and exploding.

"Enemy fire!" shouted one of her gems. "We got anti-aircraft! Protect the Diamond!"

* * *

 _High in the Exosphere…_

* * *

Blue Diamond looked around as all her gems were working furiously on their control panels. "What's happened?" she demanded.

"My Diamond! Communications have been jammed! Anti-aircraft shots detected! We can't get any closer!" One of the gems called out.

Blue snarled. "Get me a visual of the ground now!" Within a moment, the picture of Pink's palanquin viewed from above was shown. "Oh no…"

* * *

Pink peered out and saw all the soldiers surrounding her palanquin, ready to defend her. Suddenly their communicators switched back on and an all too familiar voice came across.

"Pink Diamond! It ends here! The colony the war! Everything!" came the shouting voice of Rose. "This is for all the gems that have died in this pointless war!"

The communicators cut out and the gems surrounding Pink looked around, carefully watching for any enemy movement.

"There!" One ruby pointed towards the horizon, opposite the cliff, standing alone was Rose, looking determined and focused. Soon Pearl came up behind her, then Garnet, then about thirty more gems, standing side by side. Rose raised her sword, high in the air. "For Earth! For freedom! For the Crystal Gems!" Rose shouted.

"FOR THE CRYSTAL GEMS!" Others joined in before they all ran across to meet Pink's contingency who had gathered and formed ranks between them and Pink's palanquin.

* * *

Jasper walked along the walls of the base, something was bothering her, but she couldn't place the feeling. A ruby suddenly rushed towards her and saluted. "Commander Jasper! Urgent news! Rose Quartz spotted at facet sixteen mark .nine!"

The orange quartz knew exactly where that was, they were the coordinates for Pink's rendezvous with Blue Diamond. "Get me a ship!" she ordered. "I need to-"

"Enemy forces spotted north-by-northwest! Eight hundred meters and closing!" A voice over the loudspeaker informed. Jasper looked off in that direction, seeing a wave of gems running across the ground with their weapons and armaments.

Jasper gritted her teeth. Against that many forces, the base needed all the help it could get, but if she didn't get to the ambush in time. Pink's words echoed in her head just then. "No, she trusted in me, I'll do the same for her." She said under her breath. "Get your weapons ready gems! Looks like we got some rebels looking to be shattered!"

* * *

Blue watched from her ship with a mixture of outrage and anxiety. "Get closer!" she ordered.

"My Diamond, we'll be shot out of the shy if we get any closer!" Another gem pleaded.

"Then bombard the anti-aircraft armaments!" Blue bellowed.

"We can't pinpoint the location!" the gem pleaded back. "They're hiding in the trees!"

"Find them, NOW!"

"My Diamond! A transmission is being sent from the ground!" Another said.

"Put in on screen!" Blue ordered. Within seconds a screen appeared on the bridge and all present turned to watch it. A view behind Rose quartz was shown, charging at Pink's palanquin. "Why are they broadcasting this?"

* * *

The two sides clashed as they locked weapons with one another, but Rose Pearl and Garnet were near the back and weaved through them, making a straight line for Pink Diamond.

Pearl was the first to reach it, slicing one of the legs of the craft and causing it to tip on one side. It's occupant within rolled out and took to her feet giving them a irate frown.

Pearl quickly followed up, jumping high and attempting to attack Pink's face, but Pink reached into the ground below and summoned her two shields, knocking Pearl away with a swipe.

Rose came soon after slicing around Pink's mid-section but missing by inches as she stepped back. Only for Garnet to jump from Rose's shoulders and deliver a series of blows to Pink's shield.

This wasn't good, Pink was being pushed back and throw off balance. Three on one wasn't in her favor, in that case. The young Diamond jumped high into the air and when the three followed after she reached into her hair and pulled out two seeds. She launched them at high speeds towards Pearl and Garnet.

 _Grow_

The seeds burst out into plant life and wrapped up Garnet and Pearl who fell back to the ground, trying to get them off. Rose looked behind her. "Pearl! Garnet!"

"Where do you think you're looking?!" Pink said bringing down her fist on Rose who put her shield up just in time. The rebel's leader was sent plummeting to the ground, bouncing off and skidding away as Pink landed gracefully on her feet.

* * *

Blue watched and smiled. "Yes! That's the way Pink! Finish her off!"

* * *

Pink Diamond walked calmly over to Rose, kicking her over onto her back and putting a large boot to her chest. "This is where it ends Rose. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Rose smiled through the pain. "Yeah… me… too…"

Pink felt a sudden pain in her leg and looked down to see Pearl stabbing it. "What? But you-" Garnet followed up, slamming her fist into Pink's and knocking her down. Pink looked over to where her plants were, they had peeled open and allowed the gems to be free. "So, you used your power to free them while I was distracted."

Rose grinned as she and the other two joined her. "Yes, _now_ it's time to end this."

The three charged and Pink got to her feet. The attacks were coordinated and used each other's attacks to create openings. But Pink was being pushed back, losing ground and balance.

* * *

Blue's victorious smile turned to a concerned frown. "I got to get down there! She's losing!"

"My Diamond! You can't they'll blow us out of the sky!" The gems pleaded.

"Out of my way!" Blue ordered as she made her way towards the cargo ramp.

Blue Diamond opened up the ramp and the sky blasted wind inside. "My Diamond! Please reconsider!" One of the gems tried to shout to her.

Blue turned to her. "A Diamond is in danger and I have the power to save her from it! Nothing in this cosmos is going to stop me!" and with that she jumped.

Down.

Down.

Down she fell.

Through clouds and sky Blue Diamond descended. She looked to where her sister should be fighting but could barely see. But then she heard a sound… like buzzing, but sharper. Blue suddenly dodged out of the way, a streak of light passing by her. She looked down and a little way away from where Pink was fighting, in the valley cleverly hidden in the trees.

Another shot came at her but Blue rolled out of the way again and gathered the moisture in the air around her, creating sharp ice wings, allowing her to glide faster and faster.

Blue attempted to ignore the cannons, gliding towards her sister but another shot stopped her and a third came right after tearing through her water wing and sending Blue plummeting into the valley below.

One of the gunners looked off into the distance where she fell. "Did… did we get her?"

Her question was answered as they saw Blue Diamond sprinting at them full speed, water wildly waving around her.

* * *

Pink meanwhile was getting pushed back, her strikes barely keeping the three at bay. Garnet then came up, tackling Pink to the ground. The Diamond tried to get up but a sharp pain rocketed through her body and she saw where Pearl had pinned her hand to the ground. She looked to her other side and Garnet was holding her other hand down. She felt a pressure on her legs and saw Rose standing there, her arms raised and the tip of her sword positioned above Pink's gem.

All the soldiers had stopped fighting now. Everyone watched as Rose spoke. "With this! We are freed!"

 _ **CA-SHIINK!**_

Pink's eyes went wide. She looked down to where Rose had plunged her blade and then back to Rose, a great sorrow and remorse behind her stern focused eyes. Rose removed her sword and Pink's Diamond, now split in to begin to glow and pulsate. Brighter and faster it did this. The three got a distance away and watched as Pink's physical form faded and sputtered. Then just as the gem glowed the brightest it could, Pink opened her mouth and let loose a blood-curdling wail for the brief moment before she exploded with brilliant pink light, sending tiny shards of her gem all over the place.

There was a silence, absolute and chilling.

"We did it…" Pearl said, barely believe what had just happened.

Rose dropped her sword and shield. "It's… over…" she said before falling onto her knees then onto her face.

Garnet and Pearl rushed to her side. "Rose!" the said together. The rest of the soldiers still looked on stunned but Garnet suddenly stiffened up. "We need to get away from here, right now!" She took Rose under one arm and Pearl did the same with Rose's other arm. "Crystal Gems! Retreat!" Garnet ordered.

An Amethyst shook her head, snapping out of the trance. "Don't let them get away! They destroyed our Diamond!"

The crystal gems broke off and made for the hillside where they had come from, the Homeworld forces close behind. They entered a ship waiting for them and quickly blasted off and into the distance.

* * *

Blue Diamond looked around her, wreckage of the gun and shattered gems at her feet.

 _ **IIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

Blue looked up and saw a brief glow of Pink light on the cliff. Blue eyes shot open.

"No… Nononononono!" Blue summoned water tendrils that quickly allowed her to scale the cliff and she beheld a sight that would haunt her forever. She reached down and picked up a single shard of pink.

Blue felt so many emotions clash within her just then. Sorrow. Regret. Guilt. And… anger. She was… mad. Extremely, planet-shatteringly, unreasonably, _enraged_. Her hands shook and the sky itself chilled as ice began to form around Blue Diamond. There was only one gem who had been responsible for this.

"ROOOOOSE! QUAAAAAARTZZ!"

* * *

 **Done. Enjoy. Review.**

 **Also, next chapter is last, so this is literally the last time you can ask stuff, I'll be posting in two weeks' time though instead of one. I'm sure you at least have** _ **some**_ **remaining questions.**

 **-TheChallenger1- Look it's supposed to be in Earth years. I have no idea how Homeworld measures time and frankly it's a pain in the ass to come up with some other sort of timescale, so just take it for what it says and just pretend their referring to the time in the sense of how they measure it rather than how we measure it.**

 **-Savannah9137- You'll find out in two weeks.**


	30. Ch 30: Future

**Chapter 30, I honestly didn't think it would end on a round number like this... How convenient.**

 **I don't own Steven Universe.**

* * *

Chapter 30: Future

 _A single day later…_

* * *

Yellow Diamond seethed. Her mind was wrapped in a rage she had never felt before as she watched the footage over and over again.

The death of a Diamond.

Of her sister.

Of Pink.

The rebels had broadcasted it all across the empire. Pink Diamond had been destroyed and by none other than Rose Quartz, the leader of the rebellion.

Never, not once in her hundred thousand years, had something of this magnitude happened. Their sister was gone, a Diamond _slain_ by a mere quartz soldier.

The term "unheard of" didn't even begin to cover it. It was an embarrassment. An outrage. One that needed the proper response. "Prepare my ship Pearl and be sure that the weapon is onboard and fully operational." She ordered.

"Yes, my Diamond." The yellow-ish Pearl said before running out of the room.

Yellow accessed communications and called the moon base, as expected, Blue answered, looking incredibly broken down, tears streaming freely from her eyes. "Blue? Are you there?"

Blue said nothing, only nodded once.

"Has the Cluster been implemented?" she asked.

Blue sniffed loudly. "The… the Cluster has been r-readied for insertion. Within a… d-day, it will be resting in the core…"

Yellow frowned. "Get ahold of yourself Blue. I need you to focus."

Her younger sister nodded.

"Good. Now, make sure it gets done, I'll be making my way there soon." Yellow said.

"You're… coming here? But why?" Blue asked.

Yellow's face turned into a snarl. "I'm going to finish what our sister started."

* * *

The aircraft landed back at the Crystal Gem's main base. Garnet and Pearl continued to carry Rose over the shoulders, taking her inside as other gems looked on.

The laid her down carefully and waited for something, _anything_ , to happen.

"What's wrong with her?" Pearl asked.

"I don't know." Garnet answered honestly. She looked towards Rose's gem. "Her gem is fine, I don't understand why she's like this."

Pearl put a hand on Rose's forehead. "Please, please, be alright."

* * *

 _Inside Rose's head…_

* * *

Rose felt like she was… drifting along. As if she was lying in a river and allowing the current to take her. Her mind felt hazy, and her vision was foggy at best. But still, even as she looked around she started to recognize where she was… she was… inside her room? How'd she get there? But still as she looked around the details formed and her surroundings came into focus, she was _definitely_ inside her room.

"Actually, you are definitely _not_." Came a voice from nowhere.

Rose looked around for a source, but found nothing but more air. "What? What do you mean? Of course that's where I am!" she called out to the nothingness.

"Oh? Really?" The voice wondered. "How'd you get here then?"

Rose had no answer for this, as she'd been wondering it herself.

"Look, stop thinking so hard about it. We're inside your head." The voice said.

"Where are you?" She asked.

Pink mists began to swirl around Rose and she turned to look. The swirling became faster and got closer together before finally disappearing. In its place was a large pink ornately decorated throne. Upon the throne sat none other than Pink Diamond herself. "Hello Rose."

"But I… I mean you're…" Rose started in disbelief.

"Dead? Destroyed? Well… yes. But only my physical form." Pink replied bemused as Rose approached her. "And what a great job you did of it! Hail the conquering hero! Rose Quartz, the Diamond Slayer!" Pink announced clapping her hands in a polite manner.

Rose gave an annoyed look. "That's not how I wanted people to see me."

Pink ceased her clapping, laying her hands in her lap. "But it _is_ how they see you. How they needto see you. You'll go down in history as the greatest hero of the rebellion, and the worst war criminal to ever exist. You've brought hope to the rebels and fear into Homeworld, you should be proud."

Rose stood stock still for a few moments in absolute silence, she then fell on her hands and knees as tears began to flow freely from her face. "I… I didn't want this! Not any of this! But you _made_ me do it."

Pink frowned, a look of pity upon her face. "Yes, I did."

"You knew what it would mean! What others would think of me. What I would think of myself. And you forced me to do it anyways!"

Pink nodded. "Yes, I did."

Finally, Rose picked herself up, kneeling and her face filled with tears. "WHY?!"

The Diamond looked off and away, ashamedly. "I… was too afraid. I was _always_ too afraid."

"Of what?" Rose asked.

"Of everything." Pink replied honestly. "I was too afraid to speak out against my sisters when I thought what they were doing was wrong, and even more afraid to act against them when I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. So, like the coward I am… was… I hid and schemed in secret. I created someone who could fight the battles I was too afraid to fight for me." She turned to look Rose in the eyes. "I created you."

The quartz continued to look upset. "I fulfilled my purpose then."

"In part." Pink corrected. "There's one more thing I need you to do."

Rose gave a look of anger. " _More_?! After everything I've done?!"

Pink nodded, but this time a smile creeped up on her face. "Yes, and I'm afraid It's going to be the hardest task of them all."

Rose's face changed to some sort of mix between apprehension and anger. "What is it?"

The Diamond rose from her seat and walked over towards the quartz, standing over her and looking down as she looked up. Pink then knelt and embraced Rose all in one motion, whispering into her ear. "Live, Rose. I need you to live."

Rose returned the embrace, now freely sobbing into the Diamond's chest as Pink slowly stroked her back. "Shhh. It's alright."

"But, what about you?" Rose asked between sobs.

Pink pulled back a little and smiled kindly to her. "Rose, I led a wonderful life. I saw incredible things and made amazing friends. You, perhaps, most of all, always being so strong for me. I couldn't be prouder." Pink broke the embrace completely and took a few steps away. "But now, that life is over."

"But what about the other Diamonds? What about the empire still being here?" Rose asked.

Pink looked saddened. "If losing their sister hasn't convinced the other Diamonds that it's time to stop, nothing will. But even if they continue to fight, all the empire has seen that Diamonds are not invincible, and as long as the rebellion has you, nothing will ever destroy the Crystal Gems." Pink 's smile returned. "I entrust the future to you." The Diamond then chuckled. "Who knows, maybe in time you'll find someone to entrust things to." She then began to glow in a pink hue.

Rose's eyes widened. "What's happening to you?"

Pink looked at one of her hands, smiling softly. "I only had enough strength to talk to you one last time. Now, it looks like that time is up. Goodbye Rose, take care of them."

Rose rushed forward, attempting to grab Pink's hand, only for it to disintegrate as soon as she touched it. "Wait, you can't leave! What if I have questions?! What if I don't know what to do?! You can't leave me like this!"

The Diamond smiled that motherly smile, one last time. She reached down with her other hand as it disintegrated and pointed towards Rose's gem. "Did you forget? I'm _always_ with you." The Diamond then fully disintegrated as her body turned into shards that floated into the air and faded into nothing.

* * *

Rose's eyes fluttered open and she immediately saw Garnet and Pearl hovering over her face.

"Rose…" Pearl said, on the verge of tears of joy.

"We'd thought you were gone." Garnet said softly, even as two streams came out from under her glasses.

The quartz sat up and embraced them both, one on each arm. "I am _never_ going anywhere. I promise." She said as tears of her own started flowing.

* * *

 _Another single day later…_

* * *

Yellow's pearl headed up the elevator. Her Diamond had ordered her to stay and tend to White Diamond's mirror. Not one to deny a request of her master, Pearl had agreed. Besides, she'd been doing this for over a thousand years, if there was anyone suited for the task it was her.

As she entered the room she picked up the cleaning solution and drying ray from the nearby dresser. They could have programmed a simple robonoid to do this, but there was something special to doing it one self's, something that Pearl took pride in.

As she entered the room and began her task something happened, something that was extremely rare to happen to the Pearl and had not happened to her since she had started this task for the first time.

The mirror spoke. "Pearl…" it said in the strange almost synthesized sounding voice that was a conglomeration of the other Diamond's voices.

Pearl was shocked, nearly dropping her cleaning supplies but catching them at the last second. "Ye-yes? My… Diamond?" She said the title, but was almost unsure if she should use it or not, because while this _was_ a Diamond, it was a strange situation to be addressing her in.

The mirror was silent for a moment. "Something… had happened… hasn't it?" it asked slowly as Pearl tensed up. "Something very… wrong."

She was quite unsure what she should say, knowing what the news would mean, how she might react, on top of Yellow Diamond giving her specific orders to _not_ talk about the subject in question. "I… whatever do you mean, my Diamond?"

"Something… is wrong" it repeated slowly. "Tell me… what is wrong…"

Pearl shifted uncomfortably. "No-nothing! Nothing at all, my Diamond! Everything is fine!"

Another moment of silence. "Are you… lying… to me…?" it asked.

Pearl said nothing, feeling as though the whole room was somehow _looking_ at her as she looked at the mirror.

" _She_ … told you… to lie… to me…?" The mirror said, it's voice still calm yet somehow adding a sense of menace to the words.

"W-w-who?" Peal asked, now trembling.

"Yellow Diamond…" The mirror replied, the menace increasing. "She… doesn't want you… to tell me… something…"

Pearl did not answer.

"You will… tell me… _now_ …" The mirror said.

Pearl was stock still, the entire room felt like it was bearing down on her and while Yellow Diamond would be _furious_ that she had disobeyed a direct order, this _had_ been from another Diamond so… "My Diamond, the… incident you sensed. It concerns your sister… Pink Diamond."

The menace in the room seemed to lessen, if only a little. "Go on…"

"My Diamond… Pink Diamond…" Pearl gulped. "has been… shattered." the last word fell out of Pearl's mouth with a deafening silence.

For a few moments, the menace of the room dissipated entirely. But then it came back, stronger than before. "No…" the mirror said the room now feeling like it was shaking. "No… No… NO… NO… NOOOOO!" The glass began to crack, the gem shaking in its place on the mirror.

Pearl did the only thing she could think to do, she dropped her supplies, turned around and _sprinted_ for her life out of the room.

 _ **CRACK-CRA-BOOM**_

Pearl had barely cleared the blast radius as the room behind her exploded in shards, dust and debris flying out of the room.

Pearl waited for a few moments, standing on the edge of the room. She was about to peer in when a white hand shout out and grabbed her, quickly pulling her inside.

Pearl slowly opened her eyes and only barely managed to stifle a scream of horror, a small almost coughing noise appearing in its stead. "W-w-w-White Diamond! My Diamond!" she said her eyes growing larger by the second as she stared at her. "Your fac-

A single white thumb appeared over Pearl's mouth and she stopped speaking. "Enough of that. Now, tell me _everything_."

* * *

Yellow watched the Earth far below her as she sat on the command deck. The war was nearly over, she could hardly believe it. She thought she'd feel satisfaction, knowing they were on the verge of wiping out the rebellion for good. And yet, she could shake the feeling of… emptiness. Was it because of-?

Her train of thought was broken as she heard the doors open behind her with a whoosh. She turned to see Blue Diamond walking towards her, slowly, and if Yellow wasn't mistaken… was her hair lighter? It had been a deep navy Blue before, but now it looked closer to resolution blue. "Blue, it's good to see you."

Blue looked at her sister, her gaze full of hurt and sorrow. "Oh Yellow…"

The older Diamond's composure nearly broke but her face remained professional and stern as she came to her sister's side. "I know Blue, there will be time to morn later. How is the Cluster?"

Blue got a distant look in her eyes as she seemed to drift off.

* * *

 _A few hours earlier…_

* * *

Blue was beside herself with grief. She had felt sorrow when White had become inert ,but at least she had a chance to come back one day.

But Pink?

She'd been _shattered_. She was gone forever, and nothing would ever bring her back.

Even so, she had a job to do.

The insertion ship was positioned above a trench, a deep one, and if the calculations were correct, one that would lead directly to the core. Blue waved her hand and the waters parted, allowing the ship down into the ocean freely.

"Begin the scans." Blue ordered.

After a few minutes of scans, one of the gems responded. "My Diamond, this spot is unsuitable for insertion." She said respectfully. "The crevice will not lead all the way down to the core and if we try and insert it here, we will likely only breach to the inner mantel, the lack of heat required will cause the Cluster to take much longer than needed."

"How much longer?" Blue asked.

"Over a dozen times at _least_." She responded. "Unfortunately, all the other site run risk of Crystal Gem interference. What are your orders?"

Blue thought on this for a moment. Then looked out the front window and watched as sea life made its way by. Blue had never understood Pink's fascination with organics, they were weak, frail, and unspeakably plain. Still, they had meant something to Pink, and Pink had meant something to Blue. She should just try and find somewhere better to place it, but if all life was going to die anyways, why not give them all the time they could have? It's what Pink would have wanted.

"Sooner or later this planet's fate is sealed, begin the insertion process."

* * *

"It is done." Blue said simply.

Yellow nodded, then looked over to one of her gems. "How many of our forces have been evacuated?" she asked.

"Just over seventy percent, my Diamond."

"Good, being weapon charge, when the margin is past eighty, you may fire." She ordered.

Blue looked confusedly to her sister. "Yellow? What are you up to?"

Yellow only smiled and then looked back out the window of her ship at Earth.

* * *

Rose laid out the plans for her army. Soon the final battle would begin and everything would be over. Many in the rebellion seemed anxious while others were shaking with anticipation. Their entire army was going to be in on this fight, it was all or nothing and the siege would be a hard one. Even that distraction attack had taken its toll, but the rebels were ready to end things, once and for all.

All that was left to do was the final rousing speech.

Rose walked out atop a large rock formation, below her thousands of gems look to her, awaiting her words to them. The murmurs of the masses ceased as Rose appeared and held a single hand for silence. "My Crystal Gems! My Comrades! My Friends. Hear me." Her voice echoed across the crow, being amplified via acoustics technology. "The war's end is almost here! Soon we shall drive off the Empire once and for all! For a thousand long and terrible years, the Diamonds have tried to destroy us! To hatter us! They think us weak and foolish, but after winning battle after battle, and little by little taking this planet, I remember one thing…" the crowd got deadly silent, listing for the final word. "WE ARE STILL HERE!" the crowd roared with approval and Rose smiled wide. "Today! Let us send a message to Homeworld and to White Diamond, Blue Diamond and yes, even Yellow Diamond! WE ARE THE CRYSTAL GEMS! AND WE ARE NOT AFRAID!" the crowd absolutely burst with approval with yells and whoops, Rose turned back to see Garnet giving a nod of approval and Pearl looking as inspired as she'd ever had.

* * *

 _Hours later…_

* * *

Jasper looked out from the walls of the base one last time, she inhaled deeply and let out a breath. The last few days had been… challenging to say the least. She was tired, and angry and… sad beyond measure, but she pushed her feelings to the side as she saw a dust cloud rising in the distance. She wanted so badly to stay right where she was, to look Rose Quartz dead in the eye and face off with her one on one… and strike her down just as she had done to… Jasper shook the thought from her head, orders were orders, and if all went right, the crystal gems would be gone forever. "They have no idea what we've got waiting for them…"

* * *

Rose approached the walls of the base with her forces and was immediately set upon by turret fire. The army dug in with their ray shields, moving closer and closer with their siege weaponry.

 _ **WHAM WHAM WHAM**_

The large metal frame of the base began to give way with each strike until…

 _ **Err… WHA-WHAM**_

The great door fell back, landing within as the army poured in.

Rose herself was in the center-middle of the pack as the same turret fire was now upon them from the inside as well. Imperial gems and a great many robonoid warriors clashed with the Crystal Gem forces. Rose began to move through the crowd, weaving through blows and knocking away strikes. She had a bad feeling and couldn't place it, something about this battle was amiss. She watched and looked for any gems she didn't recognize immediately. One… three… thirty-five… seventy-two… Seventy-two? That couldn't be right, there should have been thousands of gems in the courtyard of the massive base, and yet, for the most part, she saw only her own forces and robonoids.

She pushed forward by herself towards the control room, the center of the base. Rose aptly dodged out of the ay of incoming fire and slashed through the mechanical enemies in her way. Only two enemy gem soldiers fought her the entire way and the gut feeling was getting worse. She finally burst in through the doors to the center of the base and found… nothing. The hardware had been smashed, tables were flipped over and everything looked like it had been picked clean of anything tactically useful.

Rose then heard a smashing sound from an adjacent room. She quickly ran into it and found an Amethyst soldier standing over what looked like a Homeworld warp.

"Hey you!" Rose called out. "What are you doing?!" she demanded.

The amethyst turned around slowly, holding a sword and smiled smugly to her. "For the glory…" she raised the blade. "of the Diamonds." She finished, plunging it into her gut. The soldier fell to her knees and poofed, leaving her gem behind. Rose walked over to it and picked it up, holding it in her hand and looking at it confusedly.

"Rose! Are you alright?!" came the concerned voice of Pearl. Rose turned around to see her standing in the doorway, Garnet right behind her.

The quartz smiled to her. "I'm fine, Pearl."

"Our forces have routed the enemy, Rose! We did it! We drove Homeworld off of Earth!" pearl said giddily. Rose wanted to keep up the smile but it began falling second after second and Pearl looked at her worriedly. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know Pearl, something just doesn't _feel_ right. I mean we breached this base and won the battle far quicker than we should have." The quartz replied.

"Rose, we've fought long and hard to get this far." Garnet said stepping closer, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Homeworld must have known they couldn't hold this base and evacuated." She suggested.

Rose nodded. "Yes, it seems so, but I don't know. I mean, do you think the Diamonds would give up that easily?"

The three's conversation was interrupted as they heard cheering in the distance, they quickly ran outside to a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The Crystal Gem army were celebrating their victory. Some were hugging one another, others were jumping for joy and others still kicked at the machines parts that now lay at their feet.

* * *

"Fire."

* * *

Rose watched with an uneasy smile as her army continued their jubilation but suddenly everyone stopped. There was some sort of… hum? It started off low but soon changed pitch, almost musically. But then it got louder and louder and _louder_. Soon it was the only thing that anyone could hear.

Rose looked over to Pearl and Garnet who were covering their ears, just as she was. Garnet said something then pointed to the sky and Rose turned to look at it. Up in the sky was a brilliant light, but it wasn't the sun, it couldn't be, that was the wrong position for it to be in, and it was glowing _brighter_.

Rose sensed something approaching and quickly ran to her friends, tackling them to the ground and making the shield cover the three of them as the light and the sound were mitigated. After a few moments the light was gone, the sound was gone and everything was quiet, as silent as death.

Rose and her two friends got up and walked back over to the balcony and looked out to see their friends standing stock still, all staring up at where the light had just been, which meant that their collective backs were now to them.

The three jumped from the balcony and landed in the courtyard with the rest of them. "Hey are you-" she stopped as she turned one of the gems around. Her eyes were unfocused and dilated, staring off into the space even when Rose looked directly into them. Rose shook her, waiting for a response… nothing.

Garnet and Pearl also began to go to different gems, attempting to brake them out of their strange daze. Pearl tried talking sense into them while Garnet tried a few slaps across the face, still nothing.

"What's wrong with them?" Pearl asked horrified and looking to Rose.

"I don't know." Rose said.

"It's like they've all had their minds taken from them." Garnet said, looking at yet another one. "Who could-" she suddenly stopped as one of the gems turned her head to Garnet, her gaze still wide-eyed and strange. Soon other began to do the same, moving their bodies in unnatural and rigid ways until the entire army faced towards Rose and her friends.

The three had their backs to one another, taking defensive stances as their weapons were slowly drawn. "Don't make any sudden moves." Rose whispered to the both of them.

Silence once more ruled as the bodies did nothing but stare blankly at them, the unwavering and unified gaze boring into the three giving a sense of dread.

Then came a sound, it was… strange… alien, for lack of a better term. Like the sound of crushing and bursting, but more wet… like bone snapping and flesh tearing but different, more hollow sounding.

Soon the gems around them started growing strange appendages, spikes, tentacles, extra limbs, some growing bigger or smaller, or both. Other began to make horrible wails as thei bodies morphed out of form.

The three remaining gems each took on a look of horror as they watched their once-friends mutate out of control. But they soon recovered and took a defensive stance, ready for what may come.

* * *

Yellow smiled smugly as she narrowed her eyes at the Earth. Blue sat next to her, a simple frown the only indication of her mood.

"The weapon has fired successfully, my Diamond. The base was hit by the epicenter and by our initial calculations the weapon's range covered approximately a third of the planet." One of her gems reported.

Blue said nothing but Yellow looked elated. "Excellent, begin sweeps of the planet I want to make sure those Crystal Gems are gone."

"My Diamonds! Incoming priority one message! It's a recall to Homeworld!" she said.

Blue and Yellow both exchanged confused looks. A priority one message meant it was coming from the highest authority possible, in other words themselves, the Diamonds. They were obviously there with each other and Pink was gone, which meant only one thing.

"Set course for Homeworld, now!" Yellow ordered. The gems followed orders and blasted off into space.

* * *

Yellow and Blue landed at White's spire, but to their surprise, no one was there to greet them. No gems were present at the landing pad, nor were there any guarding the entrance to the spire. They opened up the doors and… nothing… all was quiet, eerily so.

Blue looked down to her own Pearl. "Wait at the ship for our word, Pearl." She ordered.

The little gem did a bow and left the two Diamonds alone. Their footsteps echoed in the emptiness and they set foot on the elevator, which began to rise. "Yellow, what's going on?"

Yellow did not respond and when Blue was about to speak again, a voice could be heard from above, no not a voice, a scream, a wail, one which they both recognized instantly. The wailing continued to stop and repeat every few seconds, becoming more and more distinct as the two reached the level for the throne room. They opened the large doors and could see in the distance was the looped footage of their youngest sister's demise, her wails coming to a halt as the door opened and the frames frozen on the exact moment of Pink's obliteration.

The two stepped inside and looked upon the picture with mixtures of anger disgust and sorrow.

"You three, I expected so much better from you." Came a slightly scratchy voice from behind, but one that the two knew all too well as they turned to look behind them. White Diamond sat in Pink's throne, which had been directly above the entrance to the elevator and across from her own throne.

Blue gasped as they gazed upon their sister and even Yellow was taken aback by what she saw. The entire left side from face to leg of White Diamond appeared scarred. Burns, scratches and scars marred that side of her starting from her temple and running all across the length of her left arm. Her left eye now appeared as a mirror, but with her right eye she gazed down squarely at them.

"White… You're back… you're okay!" Blue said, happiness managing to break through the intense despair she'd been feeling.

"Your face…" Yellow said a look of shock upon her own face.

White touched her scarred feature with one hand. "Yes, I suppose it must look rather bad." She then fixed her eyes on the two of them. "But not nearly as bad as Pink's." she said "I'm sure you noticed the lack of gems, I ordered them to clear out, so we could discuss things as privately as possible." She finished, jumping down and joining them.

Blue ran to White and embraced her but the elder sister did not react, barely glancing down at Blue before lightly pushing her to the side and striding towards Yellow who had already recovered from the initial astonishment. "I expected so much more from you Yellow, but then you allow this to happen?" she said pointing to the image.

Yellow gave an angry look. "I did everything I could! Don't put Pink's death on me! She should have been more careful, made her gems more disciplined! Had she just done what she was told, maybe she'd sill be alive!"

 _ **SMACK**_

Yellow reeled as White's hand came across her face. "I placed you in charge Yellow because I thought you could handle it, but under your leadership our empire has gotten into a bigger crisis than ever before. I forbade planet with inhabitants to be turned into colonies because I _knew_ that our gems might develop empathy for the creatures and be more tempted to disobey orders. And now look what's happened, these rebels have made fools out of us and killed out sister, and all you can do is make excuses for yourself and blame our youngest sister for her own demise."

Blue attempted to intercede. "White please, it's no one's faul-" Blue was pushed back into the wall behind her by a sudden white hand extending from White Diamond's outstretched palm and pinning her to the wall.

"That's where you're wrong Blue." White replied looking to her before turning back to Yellow. "It _is_ her fault."

Yellow snarled. "I will not stand here and be lectured by someone who hasn't even _seen_ the cosmos in over twenty-thousand years! I knew what needed to be done. I _did_ what needed to be done., our empire is stronger than ever!"

Another white hand appeared above Yellow and pushed down on her, forcing her to her knees. "Oh Yellow, always with that terrible combination of ambition and short-sightedness. Even now you fail to see how you've errored. Perhaps I should even punish you…" the light began to grow more intense, pushing Blue deeper into the wall and Yellow into the floor.

A surge of electricity began to surround Yellow and she slowly rose to her feet before the white hand disappeared. "It wasn't my fault… Had she only listened… Do you think I wanted her to DIE?!" she said literal sparks flying as Yellow summoned her blade, raising it to an attack stance.

White slowly shook her head, still pinning Blue to the wall who watched her elder sisters fight with dismay. "Don't do it Yellow." White warned, her voice only slightly above normal talking volume.

Yellow lowered the blade and for a moment the electricity died down, but just as quick Yellow got back into stance and charged at White with a single sword thrust. The blow picked up dust and debris, a critical hit on White, or so Yellow thought. As the obscuring cloud dissipated, White stood unharmed, holding the blade end of Yellow's sword, her hand glowing with light. With her other glowing, White released Blue and balled up her fist, a large glowing fist appeared above Yellow and came down hard on her back. The blow's impact shoved Yellow through the floor and out the bottom, sending her flying towards the ground floor. White peered down through the hole before jumping through it.

As Yellow lay in the crater made from her impact with the floor she attempted to reach for her sword, only for White's boot to come smashing down on her hand. Yellow let out a cry of pain and the sword dissolved into nothing. Yellow sat up but her elder sister was soon upon her, lifting her up by her neck and starting to squeeze. The younger gem made gasping noises as she reached up and fruitlessly attempted to loosen White's iron grip.

"WHITE! STOP IT!" Blue pleaded from behind, having landed only moments after White herself.

"White turned her head around to see Blue with a look of absolute sorrow in her eyes, but did not relax her grip in the slightest. "She challenged me Blue, she thought I was still weak and could be taken down so things could continue under her inept administration." White then turned back to Yellow. "I am simply showing her the error in such a line of thinking."

Blue ran up and grasped White's free hand, causing the elder gem to turn back around. Blue fell to her knees, groveling before her. "Please White! Yellow didn't mean for any of this to happen." Tears began flowing freely from her eyes. "She did the best she could with what she had, it's not her fault."

White's face relaxed a bit even though her grip did not. "What we intend to happen and what actually happens are often two different things, my sister. For instance, when Yellow challenged me, she was intending to prove she was better than me, that she could run things better than I could. But now look at her, the power that went to her head has evaporated like a puddle on a hot day, and all that pride that's blinded her to so many of her shortcomings may finally relent." With that she finally dropped Yellow to the ground, who landed on her knees coughing heavily as Blue rushed to her side, attempting to aid her.

Yellow stood up, supported by Blue, looking at White in her good eye with still a spark of resistance but she finally closed her eyes and relented. "Fine. What would you have us do?" she asked.

"If we're all done with the dramatics, we have much business to discuss, starting with that planet, Earth." White said. "We've spent over five times the resources and time on that single colony world than we should ever have."

"We managed to route the rebels there." Blue offered.

"Ah yes, with that weapon I forbade you to use." White said, eyeing Yellow again.

"But it worked!" Blue said interjecting between her sisters. "The rebels are likely to be gone forever after having used it."

"Regardless, I want it dismantled and you are to destroy all designs of it, and this time if I find out that you've tried to make this weapon again there will be more… permanent consequences." The younger gems said nothing and then White was silent for a moment, thinking to herself before speaking again. "And this… 'Cluster' creature?"

Yellow was about to ask how she knew about that but Blue was quicker. "We've implemented it into the Earth, we should see results from it in several millennia."

White peered at her two younger sisters, from one to the other. "I dislike it, but you've already implemented the thing, we might as well wait to see how it pans out. Besides, I think you've learned better than to hide things from me from now on, haven't you?" she said looking to the both of them but clearly referring to the elder sister.

"Yes…" Yellow said, the word coming out of her like air being released from a tire.

"Good. You are not to set foot on that planet until it is time for that thing to emerge, and only then to check on its progress, nothing more." White ordered to which the sisters nodded in compliance. "And concerning that station of Pink's…"

Blue immediately spoke up. "Let me take care of it!"

White and Yellow both looked at her curiously. "Why?"

"It's one of the last things we will have to remember Pink by, let us preserve it." Blue said.

White nodded once. "An excellent idea. The station is under your control now Blue, as well as all the gems stationed within." Blue nodded. "Now on to other matters, we need to start making plans to stabilize our crumbling empire."

* * *

 _To Peridot_

 _You've always been the one I turned to when I needed an answer._

 _You are intelligent, even more so than myself, I know you will find a way without me._

* * *

Peridot landed on Zighost, she'd recently transferred there after Pink's destruction. Blue Diamond had offered her to continue to be the head of the station, but after Pink's death there were too many lingering memories, so she came to the one place where she might see a friendly face.

* * *

 _To Flint_

 _I don't even know if this will reach you, but if it does, I can only say I'm sorry, so, so sorry._

 _I abused a trust you gave to me because of decisions that weren't mine to make._

 _I only hope you can forgive me._

 _Stay strong, stay safe, stay you._

Peridot opened the door to Zighost's command center and saw Flint waiting for her, open arms waiting as Peridot ran forward to embrace her.

The two walked down a hallway and both the gems took on tired and weary looks. "So, she's really gone."

"Yes, by Rose herself." Peridot said. "But then that was the plan all along."

"Flint looked at her. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"The belt that was preserving her, it was only a temporary solution. It slowed her breaking apart, it did not stop it. Sooner or later Pink would have shattered anyways." She answered.

"So that's why she allowed herself to be destroyed, to make her inevitable death mean something." Flint surmised.

"So it would seem." Peridot agreed.

"Do you think Pink meant for us to rebel as well?" Flint asked.

"I don't know." Peridot replied honestly. "Perhaps one day there will be a time to act, but for now, we play the roles we were made for."

"Just like old times then." Flint said. "Have you heard from the others?"

"No, but knowing Pearl and Onyx, they'll be alright."

"Yeah I hope so." Flint then stopped and turned to Peridot, who did the same with Flint. She reached down and hugged her. "I missed you, you little know-it-all."

"Peridot returned the hug, tears welling up. "And I you, you lummox."

* * *

 _To Onyx_

 _The circumstances of our relationship are… strange to say the least._

 _But, I count you as one of my closet friends, I hope that you feel the same._

 _The humans will have great potential, but they must not squander it._

 _Watch over them, I know you'll guide them well._

* * *

Onyx destroyed the communicator shortly after finishing the message and took a deep breath. "Time to see what this world can really do." She said as a light enveloped her. The light died and a large human girl with pink hair and ran off into the jungle.

* * *

 _To Pearl_

 _My closest confidant and friend, what else is there to say?_

 _I will soon be gone, but you will still be there._

 _Rose will need help in the future, be sure to be there when she needs it,_

 _even if she doesn't know it's you._

* * *

Pearl stepped inside the Rose's room one last time and took a deep breath, summoning her weapon. She pointed it high into the air and then suddenly brought down the blade into the ground. The floor parted and shifted as the entire room changed dramatically. The savanna plains Rose had been tending to transformed, and Pearl sucked it all into herself, leaving behind only pink clouds and empty space. She felt her own form change and grew larger, her hair growing out and her legs and arms changing into feline limbs. The new lion creature roared and a portal opened for a moment before the beast traveled through it, the portal closing behind it.

* * *

 _To Rose_

 _Live._

* * *

Rose, Garnet and Pearl all huffed, the battle had been exhausting. Creatures of all manner had attacked them and they had barely managed to fight them off before most of them broke down the walls of the bade and ran off into the distance.

"They won't be gone forever." Pearl said.

"No and we'll have to hunt them down, for their own good." Rose said solemnly.

"What about all this destruction?" Pearl asked.

Rose looked down to the ground and touched it, a single bud grew from the ground and then burst forth with life, roses and greenery sprouted, covering the signs of battle and the shards and mechanical bits beneath vegetation. "This will be a memorial for all who were destroyed." Rose said sadly.

"So, what now?" Garnet asked.

"Now, we live."

* * *

 **Done, and wow am I tired. I realize this may not be much in the way of answers of endings in general but, hey at least you got one, that's more the most fics you read where the writer gets bored and stops forever.**

 **The trust is, I've been basically writing chapter to chapter with only vague goals for what I wanted out of the future, but with that said, I think it turned out pretty okay. I was often plagued by things that cannon said had to happen, for instance, I think it would have been cool for Pink to openly rebel against her sisters, but I digress.**

 **Regrets:**

 **-Rushed through things at times, but like I said before I don't really want to sit here, well forever, I got other stuff to do, you know?**

 **-Characters, weren't as fleshed out as I hoped many of them would be, perhaps even a little on the cliché side, but again not terrible, at least I don't think so**

 **-Could really work with the main characters, Rose, Garnet, Pearl, Jasper, Amethyst (the show's not mine), would have like them all to have a bigger role, they just… didn't and I fear I left them woefully underdeveloped. Still this was the story of Pink and her friends, not of Rose and her's.**

 **Sequel ideas:**

 **-Pink openly rebels against her sisters?**

 **-Rose story about what life was like in the thousands of years before she met Greg?**

 **-Nora Universe?**

 **-Others?**

 **Onto the final questions.**

 **Savannah9137-Explained it.**

 **HarleyQuartz52-Explained that too.**

 **Riux-Cause a story needs to end, explained that, explained that, explained that, explained that**

 **Tsukimine12-Explained that, explained that, explained that, I would think fearing a Diamond's fury would be natural response, explained that, yes as you can see,**

 **Doggo- Maybe, I've been mulling around a few ideas as seen above.**

 **PixieDustAndFariyPowers-Explained that, explained that, yes,**

 **Crush48-Basically yes**

 **Theories that I used:**

 **Lion is Pink Pearl**

 **White Diamond is the de facto leader and there's something that happened to her but she's still around**

 **Pink Diamond was behind the rebellion**

 **Rose shattered Pink on her own orders**


End file.
